And I'll Love You All the While (Because You Saved My Life Once)
by findyourlight
Summary: "Mind if I sit here? Then we can share all the colors. Is that okay?" Oliver asked with a grin on his face. Felicity looked up and nodded, a small smile tugging up the corners of her mouth, blue eyes shining behind the small frames sitting atop her nose. Oliver had never seen a pair of eyes so clear, so beautiful, so pure. And from then on out, he knew he never would. Olicity AU
1. Chapter 1

**The story's title is from the song "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!. All of the chapter titles come from various songs by the same band.**

 **The link to the polyvore sets for each chapter can be found in my profile.**

 **Follow me on tumblr - my username is _emily-betts._**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any original characters that may be added in later. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to CW Television and DC Comics.**

* * *

 **Sometimes I Wonder How You Stay So Sad (When You're So Beautiful)**

 _ **October 2000**_

 _It was a cold, rainy afternoon at Starling City Preparatory School and, like most kids his age, Oliver Queen hated school. He had never been the smartest kid in his class - school had never come easy to him - but what he did love was sports. Recess was always his favorite part of the day, loving being able to get out of the classroom into the fresh air and play with his best friend since childhood, Tommy Merlyn. However, today was not looking good for recess. Even though it never got too cold in Starling City, it often rained a lot this time of year. And Tommy just so happened to be sick with a nasty cold, so he was not even there for Oliver to play inside with. Whenever the weather was bad outside, all the classes in this specific hallway gathered in the largest room, Miss Holloway's first grade classroom, so that all the kids could be watched at once - which just gave the teachers an excuse to do work without really paying attention to the kids._

 _Oliver was bored out of his mind as he watched kids around him playing with dolls and putting puzzles together. Deciding that he didn't want to just sit around, he walked towards the center table that was littered with different activities and grabbed a coloring book, then headed back towards the desk he was sitting at. Looking around for anyone with crayons to borrow, he spotted a young girl sitting by herself, coloring away without a care in the world. She appeared to be a little bit younger than him, with dark brown hair and adorable little glasses. Oliver stood up and walked towards her, reading the name tag that was on her desk, "Felicity Smoak? Hi, I'm Oliver Queen." The girl, Felicity, looked up suddenly, removing the red crayon from between her lips._

 _"Hello," Felicity replied shyly before returning to her drawing._

 _Oliver continued with a grin, "Can I borrow some crayons? I left mine in my classroom."_

 _"Sure," she responded with a timid smile before gathering up a handful of different colored crayons, Oliver accepting them and muttering a thanks before retreating to his desk. After reaching his destination, Oliver gazed over his shoulder at Felicity, red crayon securely back between her lips, and smiled to himself before making what would be the best decision of his entire life. Lifting his coloring book, he sauntered back to Felicity's desk and pulled up a chair on his way._

 _"Mind if I sit here? Then we can both share all the colors. Is that okay?" Oliver asked with his signature grin on his face. Felicity looked up and nodded, a slight smile tugging up the corners of her mouth, blue eyes shining behind the small frames sitting atop her nose. Oliver had never in his life seen a pair of eyes so clear, so beautiful, so pure. And from then on out, he knew he never would._

* * *

 **July 2009**

Oliver Queen loves parties. He loves the feeling he gets when he's dancing to the beat of the music, loves the freedom he experiences as the alcohol burns down his throat. And most importantly, he loves the constant flow of half-drunk girls trying to hook up with him. Oliver's never been one to have trouble getting girls; his family has more money than they know what to do with, he is extremely athletic and well built, and he knows how incredibly good-looking he is.

Right now, he is currently on another one of the many, many "breaks" with his girlfriend Laurel Lance. The two of them have been together on and off for most of high school, even though they are complete opposites. Sometimes he doesn't even know why they're together, other than the obvious fact that he's captain and center forward of the varsity soccer team and she's the captain of the dance team - which is much more talented than the regular cheerleaders according to Laurel. She is extremely smart and driven, while he barely even passed last year's classes. She wants a commitment, a future with marriage and kids and a white picket fence, while he just wants to live in the moment and enjoy his youth while he can. She is on the path towards Stanford Law, while he isn't even sure if he wants to go to college.

Oliver knows what's supposed to happen after graduation; he is supposed to attend an ivy league school, get his MBA and eventually ascend to his rightful place as CEO of his family's company, Queen Consolidated. Everyone - his mother, his father, Laurel - is always telling him, _you're Robert Queen's son and you have a duty to one day take over his legacy._ But the thing is, Oliver doesn't want to take over the company; he never has. Most of the time, he doesn't even want to be Robert Queen's son. For one day of his life, he wants to be Oliver. Just Oliver. But he's smart enough to know that that is an impossible dream.

Oliver walks towards the keg that's set up in the middle of Max Fuller's backyard, itching for another drink. Max is on the soccer team with Oliver, which is the only reason that he was invited to this party considering he slept with Max's girlfriend sophomore year. In his defense, he thought they'd broken up. Filling up his red cup with a hefty amount of beer, Oliver glances around the party looking for anyone interesting to talk to when he feels someone tap at his shoulder. He turns around and smirks as his eyes land on the one and only Sara Lance, Laurel's younger sister.

"Hey Ollie," Sara greets flirtatiously. She has always had a huge crush on him and just about everyone knows it, including Laurel. And Oliver being _Oliver_ has never exactly put a stop to her constant flirting or lingering touches. What's he supposed to do? She's hot and he's only human.

Taking in her appearance, he grins, "Sara. What are you doing here? Isn't it 'family night' at the Lance household?"

She rolls her eyes, "It is, but my dad grounded me because I didn't do my chores. Little does he know, I have a window with a very loose screen in front of a giant tree." Smirking, she reaches over and slowly rubs along Oliver's forearm. "Laurel told me you guys broke up again. I'm sorry," she states, her voice tinged with insincere sympathy.

"Nah, we just had a fight. I'm sure we'll be fine in a day or two," Oliver chuckles.

"Are you sure? Because she sounded pretty convinced this time. What did you even argue about this time?"

"Honestly? I wasn't really paying attention to her. Something about 'having to focus on my schoolwork because it's senior year'. You know, the usual."

"Well if you guys do decide to finally call it quits, for good this time, you know I'm only a phone call away," Sara offers, batting her eyelashes in a way Oliver assumes she thinks is sexy but just makes her look like she has some sort of eye twitch.

He lets a broad smile spread across his lips. "I'll keep that in mind," he promises knowing that he's just leading her on. He loves Laurel and no matter what he does, she always forgives him. And then she _forgives_ him.

After flashing one last smirk, Sara saunters away from him, adding a little extra sway to her hips and Oliver laughs, shaking his head at her antics. He wonders what Laurel would do if she knew what her baby sister was up to.

* * *

Quickly finishing up his beer, he tosses it in a nearby trash can and walks off in search of his best friend, knowing that she can always make him smile no matter what. Walking out to the pool deck and further into the backyard, Oliver observes the scattered partygoers: girls in bikinis running around, numerous couples making out on lounge chairs. Across the pool, his eyes find Felicity talking animatedly to her friend Caitlin and he immediately feels a large smile stretch across his face. She is so beautiful, with her golden hair that is glowing from the moonlight and her big, blue eyes shining as she smiles, having chosen to favor her contacts tonight instead of her usual square frames.

While in the middle of telling what appears to be a very funny story, Felicity notices Oliver just a few yards away, making eye contact with him as her smile softens, and she waves her fingers at him. She says goodbye to Caitlin, moving around her and nodding towards the beach that lay behind the Fuller's house. Oliver takes her cue and follows down the few steps until he reaches ground. He toes off his flip flops, enjoying the feel of the soft sand squishing in between his toes. Felicity stills and sits down a few feet from where the tide brushes the shore, patting the ground next to her telling Oliver to sit. After plopping down beside her, the sand bumpy beneath him, she finally speaks.

"It's crazy how small and irrelevant our world is compared to what's out there. Did you know that the universe is so big that it can take years for the light from the stars to travel to us? So technically, we could be looking into the past, at stars that don't even exist anymore," she explains, mesmerized by the dark sky littered with white.

Oliver stares at her, bewildered by how her mind works, how she can look at the simplest things and see _everything_. "They're just stars, Felicity. Just balls of fire that sit there, waiting to explode," he replies.

She turns to him, both curiously and mildly concerned, and asks, "Rough night?"

He shrugs, "Laurel kinda broke up with me. Again."

"What is that, like the third time this summer? Oliver, come on. You deserve better than that. You both do."

"It's not a big deal. We fight, she overreacts, I apologize, and we're fine."

"Well, what was it this time? Her issues with your partying and drinking? Did you hook up with another girl?" She jokes, "Oliver!" She smacks him on the chest with barely any real force.

He turns his head toward her, looking affronted and lightly rubs his chest where she hit him just seconds ago. "Hey! Ow!"

"Oh don't be a baby. Well? Did you?"

"No, Felicity, I did not hook up with another girl. And it hurts me that you think that I would do that, disrespect the sanctity of a relationship."

"Okay, one - you have done that, Max Fuller ring any bells? - and two - I'm kidding. I know you wouldn't do that to Laurel. I know who you are underneath that whole arrogant, spoiled, bad-boy façade you got goin' on Oliver Jonas Queen, and don't you forget it!"

Laughing, Oliver slings his left arm around her shoulder and pulls her down so her head rests lightly on the top of his arm.

"So what was the fight about?" she sighs in content.

"About senior year. Laurel thinks that I should try harder in school this year to ready myself for college. She says I need to grow up, be ready to take over the company."

"But you don't want that."

"No, I don't."

Felicity pulls away and twists herself to face him. "Oliver, I know you better than anyone. And I know that if you wanted to take over QC, you could. I have no doubt in my mind that you would make an amazing CEO. You're smart and kind and loyal, and you have an amazing heart. But I also know that wearing a suit and tie every day and working in an office on the top floor of a skyscraper would drive you insane. So," she continues, placing her hand on his left knee, "I think that you should stop thinking about what everyone wants from you and just think about what _you_ want. I know that whatever you decide to do, you'll be amazing at, because I believe in you."

Oliver looks at her, stunned at how anyone can have so much faith in him. He's been a screw up his entire life: never earning the best grades, always getting into trouble, even getting arrested a few months ago for peeing on a cop while drunk - which was totally funny, if you ask him. The point is, he messes things up. No one thinks he can do anything right, especially his father. But Felicity... She has always believed in him and encouraged him, always seen the best in him no matter what mistakes he made. He cannot even fathom how he got so lucky as to have her in his life.

"Thank you, Felicity. I really needed to hear that," he smiles softly at her while brushing a loose piece of hair away from her face and behind her ear. "You're remarkable, you know that?"

Felicity feels her cheeks heat up at the compliment. It amazes him that after all these years, she still blushes when he compliments her. She smiles up at him, blue eyes shining, "Thank you for remarking on it."

Looking into her eyes as Felicity gazes up at him, hand still brushing against her cheek, Oliver finds his eyes drifting towards her mouth before flicking back up to her eyes. The moment is broken by his name being called in the distance. He recognizes the voice instantly as his other best friend and Oliver quickly removes the hand cradling Felicity's face.

"Ollie!" Tommy calls as he stumbles towards the pair, a little tipsy from the alcohol. "Where you been, man? And have you seen Lis anywhere?"

Felicity shifts away from Oliver, standing up and smiling at Tommy. "I'm here. We were just talking, we wanted to get away from the craziness."

Tommy walks to Felicity, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close, kissing her hard but quick. "Well I miss my girlfriend, so if Ollie is done monopolizing your time, let's go dance," he grins, throwing a wink at Oliver.

Oliver smiles back at his oldest friend, hoping it appears genuine. "She's all yours. I gotta head out anyway before my parents get home from that dinner thing. I'll see you guys later?" he says, directing the question more towards Felicity.

Her lips curl up softly and she nods her head while Tommy laces their fingers, leading her back towards the house. Oliver watches his two best friends and for some reason he doesn't quite understand, he can't shake the strange feeling he has in the pit of his stomach as he watches Felicity walk away.


	2. Chapter 2

**The story's title is from the song "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!. All of the chapter titles come from various songs by the same band.**

 **The link to the polyvore sets for each chapter can be found in my profile.**

 **Follow me on tumblr - my username is _emily-betts_** _ **.**_

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any original characters that may be added in later. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to CW Television and DC Comics.**

* * *

 **All of the Words That I Type Feel So Black and White (When I Can't Hear You Smile)**

 _ **November 2000**_

 _After meeting, Felicity and Oliver had quickly become friends. Even though she appeared shy at first, Felicity was a very fun and vibrant little girl. At school, both first and second graders had recess together and Oliver would take full advantage of getting to spend time with Felicity, often abandoning soccer games with his friends in favor of talking with her on the swings. She was very alluring; in the way she couldn't seem to keep her words in, and the way she constantly pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose while tucking away loose strands of her brown locks that fell out of her pony tail. Never seeming to be able to get enough of his new friend, Oliver started inviting Felicity over to his house to play on the weekends._

 _It was a beautiful Saturday in Starling, the leaves continuing to change and blow along the ground as Thanksgiving rapidly approached. Raisa had just made them a snack of apple slices and milk, which they readily gulped down before returning outside to run around in the slightly dewy grass._

 _"Mister Oliver," Raisa called from the back porch, her Russian accent heavy as she spoke, "You have a visitor."_

 _Oliver stopped running, sending a curious glance at his longtime housekeeper and pseudo-mother, "Who's here?"_

 _Just as the older woman opened her mouth to speak, a small figure came running past her through the doorway, barreling towards Oliver. Raisa laughed at the children and retreated inside to start preparing dinner._

 _"Ollie! My dad dropped me off, he said I can sleep over!" the boy exclaimed._

 _Oliver's face spread into a wide smile as he looked at his best friend, "That's awesome! We can play video games all night!" Felicity cleared her throat as she stood to the side, fidgeting hands coming up to readjust her falling glasses. Oliver quickly remembered her presence and looked between his oldest and newest friends. "Felicity, this is my best friend Tommy. We've known each other since we were babies, so we're really more like brothers," he explained._

 _"Hi," she muttered, returning to her shyness that had become so fleeting around Oliver._

 _Almost as if he could sense her trepidation, Tommy smiled broadly at her, sticking out his right hand. "I'm Tommy Merlyn. It's nice to meet you, Felicity. Can I call you Lis?"_

 _Lightly shaking his hand, she nodded her head softly before ducking her chin._

 _"I really like your dress," Tommy complimented, an easy smile still gracing his face._

 _Felicity once again raised her eyes to him, her face immediately lighting up as a slight blush colored her cheeks, "Thank you. My mom bought it for my birthday. Do you want to play tag with us?"_

 _"Sure. Ollie's it!" he exclaimed, darting away from the other two children._

 _Giggling, she quickly ran off in the same direction that Tommy went without looking back._

 _As Oliver watched Tommy and Felicity run away from him, both smiling brightly, he thought about the way the younger girl's face lit up when Tommy said that he liked her dress, feeling uneasy about how she usually only perked up when he complimented her. Shaking the thoughts from his head, he let out a breath and chased after his two giggling friends. Though, for some reason, he couldn't shake the odd feeling that he had just lost something he may never fully get back._

* * *

 **August 2009**

It's been three weeks since Max Fuller's beach party and Oliver is freaking out, to say the least. He hasn't been able to stop thinking about what he and Felicity talked about by the shore; the way he softly touched her cheek, how he found himself wanting to kiss her. Every morning he wakes up scolding himself - _No, Oliver! She's your best friend, who is dating your other best friend. You love Laurel, not Felicity. Not Felicity._ He rolls over in his bed and stares at the ceiling. _I'm fucked._

After pulling himself out of bed and taking a long, hot shower to relax and purge his thoughts of _her,_ Oliver gets dressed and heads down the stairs to the kitchen, hoping Raisa has made his favorite Belgian waffles. He could use the pick me up, considering that he hasn't seen Felicity since that night, because he has been skillfully avoiding her due to his own confusion. Laurel called him about a week ago saying that she missed him providing a distraction, which he knows isn't the reason you should have for spending time with your girlfriend.

As he reaches the bottom of the staircase, he hears a fit of giggles coming from the kitchen and fully expects to round the corner to see a vivacious little 7-year-old cooking with Raisa. What Oliver is not ready to find is his younger sister, Thea, being chased around the island by none other than the girl he's been trying to keep out of his thoughts. Felicity. _Wow, she looks amazing today. No, stop it,_ he shakes the musings from his mind.

Finally noticing him standing there, Thea changes her course and comes barreling into his legs. "Ollie!" she screams happily, showing all her teeth in a wide grin.

Oliver rocks back a little bit with the sheer force of the eighty-pound girl, unable to stop the smile that pulls at his lips. "Whoa there Speedy, you're gonna hurt yourself," he chuckles, tilting his chin down at her.

"No I'm not, silly! Did you just wake up? Ollie, it's almost lunch time."

"Yeah well, I had a long night," he sighs exasperatedly. When he says he 'had a long night', what he really means is 'I got drunk with Tommy last night to try and stop my inappropriate thoughts of my best friend's girlfriend, who also happens to be my other best friend'. Yeah, definitely not saying that. Remembering about the other girl in the room, Oliver lifts his head to see the blonde that's currently occupying his dreams already smiling brightly at him.

"Hey there sleeping beauty," Felicity raises a judgmental brow, sending a smirk his way.

"Ha ha, you're funny. And you should blame your boyfriend, this is his fault."

"Tommy?!" Thea interrupts, "Tommy is my bestest friend - besides Lissy, of course - so you can't blame him for anything, Ollie. He's perfect."

Felicity chuckles, "You heard her, _Ollie._ Don't blame him for you having a 'long night'."

He looks between the two most important girls in his life who are currently ganging up on him. Shaking his head, he lets out a huff and moves to the fridge. "Where's Mom?"

Thea takes a seat at the kitchen table, tucking her feet up underneath herself. "She's out shopping with her party planner for her annual Labor Day Gala. The one that I'm not invited to," she finishes with a pout that causes both teenagers to laugh. "Ollie, can I play a game on your phone?"

Oliver chuckles at her complete 180 in the conversation and pulls his iPhone out of his back pocket, handing it to her, "Just for a few minutes." He walks towards Felicity, who's sitting on top of the island smiling at the sight of the siblings. "So what are you doing here?"

"What, a girl can't drive over to see her best friend? A best friend who, by the way, she hasn't seen in, like, eight _million_ years."

"Right. Sorry about that, I've been… busy."

"Yeah, I heard you and Laurel got back together. Congrats."

He clears his throat, "So, how are you? What have you been up to?"

"Oh! Well last night, I finally had a huge breakthrough with the code for that new program I'm writing where I…" she begins explaining but at this point, Oliver is so distracted that her voice just becomes white noise.

She's so cute when she gets all techy; the way her eyes light up from pure joy and how her nose crinkles when she tries to explain something. It's adorable. And her lips, plump and pink and so, so kissable. He just knows he could kiss them all day. He could kiss them right now; it would be easy. He would just have to lean in a few inches closer to her. And when their lips finally touched, it'd be soft at first, just the barest of brushes. Then Felicity would push herself forward, crashing her lips to his in a heated kiss, pressing her body up against his. Since she's already sitting, Oliver would grab her waist, tugging her impossibly close as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He would detach their lips so he could kiss down the side of her jaw before attacking her neck, nipping and sucking and licking wherever he could. As he devoured her neck, his hands would slide over her hips and down until he reached the soft, creamy expansion of skin on her thighs before squeezing lightly to bring her even closer, making her moan softly. As he brought his lips back up to meet hers, his hands would continue moving higher, slowly making their way under the hem of her shorts when -

"Oliver!" Felicity yells, breaking Oliver away from his thoughts.

Staring at her wide-eyed, he realizes what just happened between them had been nothing but a fantasy. He gulps before speaking, voice breathier than usual, "What?"

Felicity sighs, "I know I babble about computers a lot, but the least you could do is pretend to be interested, Oliver."

"What? I am interested, Felicity. I'm always interested in what you say, especially when you babble. I just have a lot on my mind and I'm still a little hungover."

She eyes him skeptically. "Okaaay. Well," she says while jumping down from the counter, "I have to go, I'm meeting Tommy for lunch. I pretty much just came by to catch up and see if you wanted to hang out later. Tomorrow maybe?"

"Yeah that uh, that sounds great. I'll text you."

"I'll be waiting," she smiles and ruffles Thea's hair as she passes by, "See you later, Speedy."

"Bye Lissy!" Thea exclaims before focusing back on the game she is playing on Oliver's phone.

Felicity throws Oliver a small wave over her shoulder before walking out of the kitchen towards the front door, and Oliver can't stop his eyes from drifting down to admire the way her hips sway perfectly as she moves. _Shit,_ he thinks and repeats his earlier notion, _I'm fucked._

* * *

 **September 2009**

Every year, decorators, caterers, and various other staff members rush around the mansion, preparing for the Queen's Labor Day Gala. Oliver's parents throw this party every year, inviting their friends and many of his father's business associates. And every year Oliver is forced to attend, having to dress up in a tux and pretend that he doesn't hate everyone that comes over to talk to him. The only good thing is that a few years ago his mother, Moira, finally realized how much he hated these events and said that he could invite some of his friends along with the Lance family.

So, that's how Oliver finds himself standing next to Laurel adorned in Armani, wishing he could access the open bar. It's not that he doesn't like being alone with Laurel – of course he does - but lately, they haven't been getting along and he has realized just how little they have in common. He checks the time on his phone. _7:32 pm._ Felicity should be here by now. Ever since that morning in the kitchen, Oliver has not been able to get her out of his head. Or his dreams, for that matter. He's a little embarrassed to admit just how many cold showers he has had to take in the last two weeks. That daydream had freaked him out and so has every dream since. But it's not like they're romantic dreams or anything. Every dream is just about sex, but he _is_ a guy, so he really isn't doing anything wrong. _Right?_

"Ollie, are you even listening to me?" Laurel asks, unable to mask her obvious irritation at him.

He turns to her, a bit dazed, "What? Sorry, what were you saying?"

She huffs, clearly annoyed, but answers anyway, "I was saying that since school is starting next week, and I'm taking a bunch of AP classes and you're, well, _not,_ we probably won't see each other as much during the week. We'll have to be sure to make time for each other after school and on weekends, when we're not at dance or soccer, of course."

Oliver stares blankly, blinking at her and trying to absorb all the information she just gave him. "Uh, yeah. Sounds good." He zones out again as she begins to describe a new dance routine that she has to choreograph for a competition, when he sees a flash of bright blonde hair out of the corner of his eyes. Fully spinning his head towards the grand entrance of the ballroom, his eyes land on Felicity standing under the archway. _Wow. She looks… breathtaking,_ Oliver thinks as his eyes drink in her appearance.

Clad in a floor length black gown, tasteful cutouts and leg slits exposing tantalizing patches of skin, Felicity glances around the room searchingly. Oliver hears someone faintly call her name before he sees Tommy appear behind her. She looks back at the sound of her name, revealing the creamy skin of her almost completely exposed back. Her hair is in an intricate up do, freeing her neck, and Oliver's heart starts beating faster. She turns back to the room as Tommy comes to stand at her side, hand immediately flying to the small of her back and Oliver can't help but feel jealous of his oldest friend, wishing that he was the one touching what he knows is unbelievably soft skin. _Wait, what? No, you are not jealous. At all._

Eyes finally landing on Oliver, a bright smile pulls at Felicity's dark crimson lips. She and Tommy begin making their way over, and he finally remembers that Laurel is standing next to him when she places her hand in the crook of his elbow.

"Hey you two. You guys looks great," Laurel says, directing a smile towards Felicity that seems just a little bit too forced. The two girls have never gotten along; Felicity has always tried to get to know Laurel until settling on just being civil, because Laurel has always held some sort of animosity towards the blonde. Oliver has always thought that Laurel was jealous of how close of a friendship he has with Felicity, which is ridiculous. _Until now,_ Oliver adds silently.

"Laurel Lance, looking as beautiful as ever," Tommy replies with his signature grin.

"Why thank you, Mr. Merlyn," she adds with a small chuckle while Oliver's eyes remain glued on Felicity.

Tommy and Laurel begin having their own conversation when Oliver finally finds his voice, "You look stunning, Felicity."

Felicity ducks her head as she feels her cheeks heat up, "Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself."

Finishing his conversation with Laurel, Tommy turns to her. "Lis, do you want to dance?

"I'd love to."

Oliver watches as Tommy leads his best friend to the dance floor, placing his hands low on her back as her arms band around his neck. Watching them, Oliver feels an unexplainable surge of anger.

"I need a drink," he grumbles at Laurel before walking towards the back patio, snatching a bottle of vodka from the bar as he goes.

* * *

After her dance with Tommy, Felicity looks around the ballroom for Oliver, not spotting him anywhere. She huffs and moves to sit at a nearby table.

"Felicity!" a feminine voice calls from behind her. Felicity recognizes the voice right away, turning to see Caitlin Snow walking towards her.

"Hey Cait."

"Hey girly," she greets, sitting down, "What are you doing sitting here by yourself? Where's Tommy and Oliver?"

"Tommy had to go talk to some of his dad's business partners. And Oliver... I don't know, he disappeared."

Caitlin frowns, "Did something happen between you two?"

She shrugs. "I don't know. Ever since that beach party last month, he's been acting weird. Like, he's avoiding me. And then earlier tonight when I was dancing with Tommy, I saw him with Laurel. He looked upset about something and then just walked out. I don't know what's going on with him lately."

"Maybe something's going on with Laurel? Or his family?"

"I don't know, but I intend to find out. I'm starting to get annoyed."

Just as Caitlin opens her mouth to respond, Robert and Moira Queen appear near the table followed closely by a few men Felicity doesn't know.

"Felicity darling, you look just lovely," Moira compliments with a smile. She's always adored Felicity.

"Thank you Mrs. Queen, so do you," she responds, smiling as she stands up to give the older woman a short hug.

"Felicity, I was just telling Mr. Sommers here that you are one of the most brilliant young women I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, and how we are looking forward to the possibility of you interning at QC next summer," Robert explains.

"Oh, yeah. I'm still thinking about that, but it is very exciting." He nods at Felicity's short answer, offering a goodbye before leading Mr. Sommers away to speak with other business associates.

"Felicity, honey," Moira starts, "Have you seen Oliver anywhere? He is not with Laurel and there are some people that I would like to introduce him to."

"Actually, I was just telling Caitlin that Oliver disappeared. I haven't seen him for like, half an hour."

"Well if you see him, would you tell him that I'm looking for him?"

"Of course Mrs. Queen, enjoy your night."

The older woman smiles and leaves to mingle with her other guests. Felicity says goodbye to Caitlin and goes in search of Oliver, determined to get some answers from him.

* * *

Oliver sits in a chair in his father's office, slowly sipping at the nearly empty bottle of vodka. He is well past tipsy when he hears the door open, and he fully expects to see one of his parents ready to yell at him. Turning his head slightly, he is surprised to see Sara clad in a long, green gown and a small smirk.

Pointing to the bottle in his hands, she asks, "Care to share? The bartender hid all the good stuff."

Oliver holds out the bottle to her, smirking as she grabs it from his hand and immediately chugs what is left of the clear liquid. "Damn girl, pace yourself."

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Good point." Oliver stands up, swaying a bit, and they are much closer than he thought they were a second ago.

"Why so sad?" Sara asks with a puppy-dog expression, running a finger slowly up and down Oliver's arm.

His eyes travel down at her hand on his arm then back at her face. "Just drunk. And disappointed. But I'm guessing you could help fix that," he hints, voice a few octaves lower than normal.

Even though she is wearing heels, Sara stretches a little, slowly inching closer to Oliver's face. Finally, her lips experimentally brush his before retreating to observe his reaction. His eyes visibly darken and within seconds his lips are fully on hers, arm banding around Sara's tiny waist. She wraps her arms around his neck, pulling herself as close to his body as possible. Moving his hands over her ass and griping her thighs, he hoists her into the air causing Sara to wrap her legs around his waist as best she can given the long dress she is wearing. She arches into him and Oliver walks them forward until he is standing in front of his father's desk, quickly brushing off the contents and placing Sara on top. She moans into his mouth as his fingers roughly grip her hips and he takes the opportunity to brush his tongue along the seam of her lips. _This is wrong. You have a girlfriend; a gorgeous, smart girlfriend named Laurel. This is her sister. You need to stop. Now,_ Oliver thinks over and over again. But he doesn't stop. He can't stop. Because all he can feel is the alcohol running through his veins, and all he can see is Felicity looking gorgeous as she dances with someone who isn't him.

Oliver's hands have just found her zipper when the door to the office opens and he hears a gasp. Detaching himself from Sara, they both look towards the figure in the doorway, eyes wide. Staring at the person he least wanted to be caught by right now, Oliver sighs. _I'm fucked._


	3. Chapter 3

**The story's title is from the song "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!. All of the chapter titles come from various songs by the same band.**

 **The link to the polyvore sets for each chapter can be found in my profile.**

 **Follow me on tumblr - my username is** ** _emily-betts_** _ **.**_

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any original characters that may be added in later. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to CW Television and DC Comics.**

* * *

 **It's Only Just a Matter of Time (Before These Walls Start Crumbling)**

 _ **January 2002**_

 _It was a Sunday morning when Oliver learned that he was officially a big brother. Thea Dearden Queen was born at 8:17 am, putting Moira through over twenty-four hours of intense labor before coming out screaming. Even before she was born, she was a real spitfire. When Oliver first learned that he was going to have a baby brother or sister, he was surprised. And confused. He was already 9 years old, which was a large gap compared to the ages of his friends and their siblings. But as soon as Robert and Moira returned home from the hospital and Oliver laid eyes on the tiny human cradled in his mother's arms, he was in love. And from that point on, he knew that there was nothing he wouldn't do to protect his baby sister._

 _About a week had gone by, full of sleepless nights caused by incessant cries, and Oliver still hadn't held Thea. She was so tiny and fragile, he was afraid that he might hurt her or worse, drop her. Oliver was just finishing his chicken nuggets that Raisa had made for him when he heard the doorbell ring. Immediately knowing who it was, he bolted to the front door, ignoring Raisa's calls for him to wait for her. Skidding to a stop, he opened the door and instantly smiled at the brunette standing on the porch. "Felicity, you're here!" Oliver exclaimed, trying not to appear too eager._

 _Felicity grinned, stepping through the main entryway. "Of course I'm here. You wanted me to meet Thea. I can't wait!"_

 _"Come on, she's up in her nursery." Oliver grabbed her hand, ignoring the electricity he felt at her touch, and lead her up the stairs to Thea's bedroom. They entered quietly as to not wake her and slowly stepped towards the baby's crib, surprised to see her awake, her big hazel eyes opened wide. She looked up at Oliver's face, smiling and gurgling quietly before reaching out for the older Queen._

 _"Oh, Oliver! She's so cute. Look at her tiny little hands," Felicity cooed, fascinated by the small human._

 _"I know. I love her so much already. But -," he drifted off._

 _Felicity turned to him curiously. "But what?"_

 _He avoided meeting her eyes, "I'm afraid to hold her. What if I drop her? Or hurt her? I don't ever wanna be the cause of her being hurt, Felicity. I'm scared."_

 _Felicity looked at him, placing a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "Oliver, you're her big brother. She's always gonna look up to you and she'll always know that you'll be there for her. That'll never change. Just pick her up, you can do it. I believe in you."_

 _Smiling softly, Oliver turned to Thea and slowly reached into her crib, carefully grabbing her just like his mom showed him. The little girl smiled at her brother, letting out a noise that was a cross between a gurgle and a giggle. Oliver laughed breathlessly, amazed at how small and innocent a person could be. He gazed at Felicity, her eyes shining at him, and he knew that that look in her eyes and knowing that she believed in him was all he'd ever need._

* * *

 **September 2009**

Oliver's hands have just found Sara's zipper when the door to the office opens and he hears a gasp. Detaching himself from her, they both look towards the figure in the doorway, eyes wide. Staring at the person he least wanted to be caught by right now, Oliver sighs. _I'm fucked._

Laurel stands frozen in the doorway, her shocked expression quickly morphing into one of pure anger. "What the hell is this?!" she shouts, looking between the two people she thought were closest to her.

Sara pushes Oliver away from her and stands up, looking at her sister with pleading eyes, "Laurel, I can explain. I -"

"- No! Don't!" Laurel interrupts, tears welling in her eyes. She turns towards Oliver with a heartbroken look in her eyes, one that he had never wanted to see. "I knew you could be a real son of a bitch Ollie, but _this?_ My _sister?!_ My _baby_ sister?! How could you?!" Her voice is continuing to get louder and Oliver has no doubt that the party attendees can hear what is going on. His suspicions are only confirmed when Felicity and Tommy appear in the doorway, curious as to what is going on.

"Laurel, I -," Oliver starts only to be cut off by Laurel's death glare.

Tears fall freely down her cheeks, "Save it, Oliver! We're done. I never want to see you again!" She turns to leave, brushing past Felicity as she goes by. Felicity turns back to see Oliver standing with the other blonde, and it isn't very hard to deduce what happened as she takes in both of their disheveled clothes, Sara's mouth now absent of any lipstick. Sara straightens her dress before running out of the room in search of the older Lance sister.

"What the hell did you do, man?" Tommy asks, but Oliver doesn't hear him. Everything around him fades to a blurry picture of reality as his eyes focus on Felicity. The last thing he remembers of the night before blacking out from a combination of shame and alcohol, is the look of complete and utter disappointment in her eyes before she walks away from him.

* * *

Oliver stirs from his deep sleep at hearing the screech of his curtains being pulled open and then the sun is shining brightly in his eyes. He groans and shoves his face deeper into his pillow, shivering as his covers are suddenly pulled from his naked back. Oliver groans again, looking up to see his mother picking up some dirty clothes from his floor, his head pounding.

"Shower, get dressed, and come downstairs. Now," Moira says sternly, draping the clothes over the back of his desk chair before she leaves.

He groans once more but reluctantly does what she says. He heads to the bathroom, feet softly padding across his carpet, before stripping himself of his sweatpants and hopping into the shower. Once he's under the steaming hot liquid, everything that happened last night finally comes back to him. _Sara. Laurel. Felicity._ He rests his forehead against the cool, pale tiles, shame overcoming him as he remembers his actions. But the weird thing is that the worst part of this entire situation is the fact that Felicity knows what happened. He feels bad about what he did to Laurel, yeah, but nothing is more haunting than the way Felicity had looked at him. How her eyes had carried so much disappointment. That thought startles Oliver to his core. He should feel like shit because he cheated on his girlfriend with her little sister, not because his best friend was so clearly upset by what he did. _Why do I care what Felicity thinks? I love Laurel. She's the person that I should want to apologize to right now. Not Felicity. Dammit!_ Oliver slams his palm onto the wall in frustration with himself, water spluttering in different directions from the force of it.

After his shower, which turned out to take a lot longer than he intended, his head is pounding as he gets dressed and makes his way downstairs to the kitchen in search of some pain killers. Entering the kitchen, Oliver slows his stride when he finds both his mother and father waiting for him, both adorning serious expressions. Sighing, he walks to the medicine cabinet, mentally preparing himself for the lecture that's about to come. He pops a few aspirin into his mouth and washes it down with some orange juice before putting the carton back into the fridge. He turns to his parents, his face the picture of nonchalance. "What's up?" he asks, crossing his arms across his chest and leaning his back against the counter.

His mother looks at him incredulously as his father shakes his head, observing the interaction. "Sara Lance? Are you out of your mind? Out of all the stupid things you've ever done, this might be the worst."

Oliver sighs at his mother, "I know. It was stupid and I was drunk. Whatever, Laurel always forgives me."

"Oliver, honey, I don't think she will this time. She ran out through the ballroom in tears, Sara wasn't far behind."

"I'll go see her today and we'll talk. It's not like I had sex with Sara, we just kissed and -"

"Enough!" Robert's voice booms through the mansion. Both Oliver and Moira look at him, shocked by his sudden outburst and the younger man squirms under his father's glare. "I have put up with your irresponsible behavior long enough. And I am finished! You party every weekend; you get wasted off your ass; you even get _arrested_. Then you finally find a nice, respectable girl who cares about you, and what do you do? You cheat on her with her _sister_. And in the middle of an event that was full of my business associates! Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was? You're starting your senior year tomorrow, and then you are supposed to go to college to be ready to take over my company, the company I built. But you won't. You are a disappointment to me and a disgrace to this family. And at this point, you are undeserving of the Queen name!" Robert finishes before storming off.

Oliver stands there, frozen, shocked by his father's harsh words. He knows that he messed up, but he has never seen his father so angry before. Robert has said some extremely hurtful things over the years, but nothing had ever truly fazed Oliver until now.

Walking over to him, Moira puts a hand on his arm and rubs it gently. "He doesn't mean that honey, he's just angry."

He nods mutely, sending his mother a weak smile before deciding he needs to get out of this house and away from this life, even if it's just for the day. He maneuvers around her and towards the garage, swiping the keys to his motorcycle from the dish on the side table as he goes. Throwing on his leather jacket, he puts on his helmet, hops on his Ducati and speeds away from the mansion.

* * *

Tommy has been through a lot with Ollie. Parties, girls, drinking, drugs, hell, even jail time. He likes to think he knows his best friend pretty well. But lately, he has no idea what's going on with Oliver. He has been acting weird ever since the beach party and the worst part is, he won't tell Tommy what's wrong. They've always been like brothers; they told each other everything. Literally, _everything._ But apparently not this, whatever _this_ even is.

After going to the mansion in search of Oliver with no luck in finding him, there's only one place Tommy knew he could be and sure enough, there he is.

Standing on the roof of Queen Consolidated, Oliver leans against the railing and stares over the city that has always been his home. The boys discovered this when they were twelve and it quickly became their secret place. No one knew that they came here, not even Felicity. And they like it that way; they like having a place that's just for them, where they can leave their last names at the door and just be Tommy and Ollie: best friends. _Brothers._

Tommy silently approaches the railing and somehow Oliver knows that he's there without turning around. He mimics Oliver's pose and gazes out at Starling. It's the middle of the day, the streets are stalled with too many cars and there's people littering the sidewalks. Everything looks so small and it makes Tommy feel... _superior._ Like he can do anything, be anything. That's what he loves most about this place.

Oliver speaks without looking towards him, finally breaking the comfortable silence between them. "I really fucked up this time, didn't I?"

"Yeah. Yeah, man. You did," Tommy answers bluntly. They've never been the type to sugarcoat things.

The taller man sighs, dragging his hands over his face before finally regarding Tommy, his entire demeanor just... _defeated._ "I don't know what to do, man. Sara isn't answering my calls, Laurel probably hates my guts right now, and Felicity...," he drifts off.

"Felicity what?"

He glances back out at the skyline, not able to look Tommy in the eye and lie to him. The truth is, he realized that he might have feelings for Felicity the second he saw her last night when she literally took his breath away. And seeing that look in her eyes in his father's office had just confirmed it. He thought he was over this. He thought that these feelings had completely disappeared. Turns out he couldn't be more wrong. "I think she's mad at me for what happened last night. I'm kind of afraid to see her, if I'm being completely honest."

Tommy nods his head slowly. "Yeah, I get that. But you should talk to her. Lis can never stay mad at either of us for too long," he says trying to lighten the mood a little.

Smiling a little before responding with a small chuckle, Oliver shakes his head, "That is very true. She loves me way too much." _Not in the way I want,_ he adds silently before scolding himself for his line of thinking.

He laughs, nudging Oliver with his shoulder. "Shut up, Ollie." His light tone suddenly turns serious, "I know that things seem bad now, but it'll get better."

"Thank, man."

"Anytime. You know I'm always here for you."

Oliver nods and once again, both boys look ahead, staring down at their entire world. And for just a few more hours, they can pretend that they aren't who they are. And that feels pretty good.

* * *

Fidgeting nervously, Oliver stands on Felicity's front porch. He has been standing here for about ten minutes trying to build up the courage to knock. _C'mon Oliver, just rip off the band-aid._ Finally, he places two quick knocks on the red wooden door and within seconds, Felicity is standing in the open doorway, arms crossed and eyebrows raised.

"It took you long enough. I saw you park your motorcycle, like, ten minutes ago," Felicity states matter-of-factly.

Shuffling nervously, Oliver looks down, not knowing what to say.

"What are you doing here, Oliver?" she sighs in exasperation.

"I uh, I wanted to come here and apologize. For what happened last night, with Sara."

"Isn't Laurel the person you should be apologizing to?"

"She's not answering my calls and I figured I should give her some space. But I couldn't deal with the fact that you're mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you Oliver. I'm just… _disappointed_ in what you did. I don't understand it, because I know in my heart that you're better than that."

"Well, you would be the only one."

Felicity's brows furrow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Sighing, Oliver explains, "My father. He basically told me that I don't deserve to be a Queen because I'm such a fuck-up. And he's right, Felicity. Everything good in my life, I ruin. You're the only person who has ever stood by me through everything and the thought that I may have ruined this… It's been killing me. Knowing that you're disappointed in me, that I let you down… _that_ is what's killing me."

Felicity takes a step towards him and forces him to look at her, placing her hand on his right cheek. "Oliver, listen to me. You are _not_ a fuck-up. Yes, you made a mistake. We all do. That's what makes us human. But there is nothing - _nothing_ \- that you could ever do to make me stop believing in you. You're my best friend, Oliver and I love you."

His heart stutters at those three magic words that just tumbled from her lips so easily. But he knows that she doesn't mean them the way that he realizes deep down, he does. He finds himself mesmerized by her mouth again, resisting the urge to kiss her perfect lips. As Felicity leans forward, pulling him into a tight embrace, he rests his face in the crook of her neck and breathes in her scent. She smells like lavender. And vanilla. And she smells like _home._


	4. Chapter 4

**The story's title is from the song "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!. All of the chapter titles come from various songs by the same band.**

 **The link to the polyvore sets for each chapter can be found in my profile.**

 **Follow me on tumblr - my username is** ** _emily-betts_** _ **.**_

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any original characters that may be added in later. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to CW Television and DC Comics.**

* * *

 **I Hope You Know This is a Miracle Life (So You Should Take It Like a Man)**

 _ **August 2004**_

 _Felicity's life hadn't been easy. Having grown up in Las Vegas with a mother that worked in a casino, she had seen a lot of things that a five-year-old should never have to see. And she'd been through more pain than a child should have to go through. One morning she had woken up early, just as the sun was rising and to this day, she couldn't tell you why she had woken up; she just had this feeling, like something horrible was happening. And sure enough, when Felicity drifted down the stairs from her bedroom, she found her father by the front door, bags in hand. When he saw her, he told her he was going on a business trip; that he would be back; that he loved her. All those things had been a lie. Devastated, her mother, Donna Smoak, hadn't known how to handle things. So, she packed up everything and took her daughter away from Vegas and to Starling City to start a new life. Felicity hated her father for what he did, for the pain he caused her and her mother. Now though, she couldn't help herself but to feel grateful to him because had he never left, she never would've moved to Starling. And she never would've met Oliver._

 _They were playing tag when Oliver realized something was wrong with Felicity; he didn't know what but she just seemed, not herself. He stopped running and turned to the little girl, "Come on, let's go on the swings."_

 _Felicity nodded and followed him to the swing set, sitting on the red swing next to his blue one. She silently avoided his gaze, her hands fidgeting in her lap._

 _Oliver tilted his head, eying her quizzically. "What's wrong? You're not smiling. I like when you smile." She shrugged a shoulder, still looking down. "Felicity, you know that you can tell me anything."_

 _"I know. I'm just scared."_

 _"Scared of what?"_

 _"School is starting next week. And you and Tommy are gonna be gone, because you're going to middle school and then I'll be all alone."_

 _Realization hit Oliver and he stared at her, contemplating what to do next. Struck with an idea, he glanced down at the brown and black woven bracelet, a gift from his mother, that was wrapped around his wrist. Lifting his head, he stared at the profile of the brown-haired girl next to him before he made a decision. He took off the bracelet and grabbed Felicity's right hand, pulling it towards his lap._

 _Her brows furrowed in confusion. "What are you doing?" she asked as he tightened the leather around her tiny wrist before entwining their fingers._

 _He looked at her, eyes shining with something unexplainable. "There. Now a part of me will always be there to protect you. No matter what."_

 _Felicity gazed into his eyes with a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. "No matter what."_

* * *

 **September 2009**

It's been about a week since the Labor Day Gala; a week since Oliver hooked up with Sara, a week since he last talked to both Laurel and his dad, and a week since he realized that he has feelings for Felicity. Again. He thought he had put those feelings behind him years ago. _Guess not._

School has started and Oliver can't stand it, even though it has offered him an excuse to avoid his friends, claiming he is busy. It's not that he doesn't like learning new things - he does; what he doesn't like is the pressure that school puts on him. He already gets enough of that because of his last name. Everyone expects him to be like his father: smart, driven, a business tycoon. But he isn't, not when it comes to things that don't matter to him. Like school. He doesn't care about angles of shapes or how the atom was discovered; the only good thing that has come out of school is soccer. Oliver is the captain of the varsity team and when he gets out on that field, everyone in the stands cheering him on, he feels worthy. And that's not a feeling that comes often.

The starting game of his last season in high school is tonight and there is nothing that Oliver wants more than for his father to be there. Which is why he finds himself standing in a large elevator on his way up to his father's office on the executive level of QC. The elevator dings and he steps out, thumb and forefinger lightly rubbing together as he walks towards his father's secretary, Ellie.

"Mr. Queen, your father didn't tell me you were stopping by," Ellie states with a fake smile.

He resists the urge to roll his eyes at the blonde bombshell that is no doubt his father's mistress. "That's because he didn't know. Is he here? I need to speak with him."

"He's in his office, go right ahead."

Oliver nods in thanks before approaching the glass doors of his dad's office, eyes landing on Robert sitting at his large desk going over a stack of papers. Finally gathering enough courage, he opens the door and steps inside.

Robert looks up at the sound of footsteps, surprised to see his eldest child. "Oliver, I have a meeting in twenty minutes. How much money do you need?"

"Dad, I'm not here for money. My uh, my first soccer game is tonight, and I was kinda hoping you would be there. I know we haven't really talked in a while, but it would mean a lot to me because it's my last season and I'm starting," Oliver explains, a hopeful twinge to his voice.

The older man sighs before going back to signing his papers. "Son, I don't have time for this conversation, let alone to come and see some silly high school soccer game."

Oliver stares at him with a blank expression as a sad realization hits him. "You're never going to be proud of me, are you? No matter what I say, what I do... It'll never be enough," he says, a bit breathlessly.

The older man looks up at that response, shocked by his son's words. "Oliver, this isn't the time to discuss this."

"Then when is? Last week, you told me I was a disgrace to this family and haven't spoken to me since, so tell me, when is the right time? You're never home, always working or with your assistant that you think I don't know you're screwing. You've never been to a single one of my soccer games, ever. And you rarely ever go to Thea's violin concerts but hey, at least you care about her. So, I'm sorry that now isn't a good time for you to have a conversation with your _child."_

He opens his mouth to respond, but Oliver cuts him off and continues, undeterred.

"You told me that I'm a disappointment to you as a son, but you're the one who is a disappointment. I'm done trying to be something you can be proud of. I'm done trying to be you, because I'm _not._ And thank god for that." Oliver turns and walks out of the office, leaving a stunned Robert in his wake. It isn't until the elevator doors close that he allows a single tear to fall down his cheek.

* * *

Felicity stands in her kitchen, lost in thought as she stares at the popcorn spinning in the microwave. Things with Oliver lately have been weird, to say the least; he isn't actively avoiding her anymore, but he hasn't been acting like himself. He always looks at her strangely for long periods of time and clams up whenever she mentions Tommy, which is beyond bizarre. Lately she feels that something has changed between them, _shifted_ within their relationship. And the worst part is, she kind of _likes_ it. Once upon a time, she had dreamed of a world where Oliver had reciprocated her feelings, but she had accepted that that would never happen. He's _Oliver fricking Queen._ And there's no way that he has feelings for her now. _That's ridiculous, Felicity. Snap out of it!_ And even if he did have feelings for her, _which he doesn't,_ it wouldn't matter. She's with Tommy; she _loves_ Tommy. And she is over Oliver.

The microwave dings, snapping her back to reality.

"Lis, hurry up!" Tommy calls from his seat on the couch in her living room.

"Coming!" she yells back, emptying the popcorn into a large glass bowl. She saunters into the room, bowl in hand, and plops down next to Tommy on the soft, blue couch. "Want some popcorn?"

"No thanks, I don't want to eat that before the game tonight. You're coming, right?"

"Yeah, of course. You and Oliver are both starting. I wouldn't miss it."

Putting his arm around her shoulder and pulling her close, Tommy eyes her questioningly, "Speaking of Ollie, do you know what's been going on with him lately?"

Felicity shakes her head, trying to appear nonchalant and hopefully not failing miserably at it. "Uh, no. He seems fine to me." _Lie._

"You sure? He hasn't been acting strange around you?"

"Nope. Oliver seems completely normal." _Another lie._ "Why do you ask?"

"No reason, he just seems off ever since everything that went down with Laurel. And he won't talk to me about it, so I guess I'm just worried about him."

She puts the bowl on the table and shifts so to fully face Tommy, placing her hand in his. "Hey, everything is fine. You're his best friend, he'll talk to you when he's ready, okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess," Tommy sighs before smiling, "Wanna start the movie?"

"Oh, yes! Can we watch Lord of the Rings?"

Tommy laughs before shaking his head, "You're such a nerd."

"Yeah, but you love me anyway."

"Yes, I do." He pecks her on the lips before standing up and walking towards the dvd player.

Felicity's smile falters a bit as she watches his retreating form. She likes days like this, where they can just... _be._ She's happy; content. She just doesn't know if that's enough.

* * *

After his disastrous conversation with his father, Oliver went for a long drive on his motorcycle to clear his head. It didn't work. That's why he is sitting on the bench with his headphones in, trying to get his head out of his ass and into this game. Halftime just started and so far, he has been playing like shit. They are losing 5-2 to a team they should be destroying right now. He can't let his team down just because his dad is an asshole, but he needs to get his shit together and he just _can't._

He's staring at a patch of grass near his feet when he feels a light tap on his shoulder, and he turns around to find Felicity clad in a simple pink top and jeans combination. Only she could wear something so simple and look so beautiful.

Standing, he pulls his headphones from his ears, "Hey, what's up?"

"I should be asking you that. You do know that you're playing like crap, right?"

Oliver huffs a laugh, "Yeah, I know."

"So, you wanna tell me what that's about?"

"I asked my dad to come tonight and he blew me off, like always. We had a huge fight and I… said some things."

"Oh, Oliver. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I don't know why I was expecting a different reaction from him than what I got."

Felicity puts a hand on his forearm, inhaling sharply and forcing herself to ignore the unexpected shock she feels at the contact. "Hey, I know that you have a rough relationship with him, but he's still your father. It must really hurt, and you're justified in whatever feelings you have towards him. But this is important to you and if he's not here, then he doesn't deserve to be a part of your life. So, don't play for him. Play for _you._ And for me, because I didn't come to this game just for our team to lose," she finishes with a joking smile.

Oliver laughs, already feeling better, "Thanks Felicity. You always know exactly what to say."

She smiles and sighs, "I try." The referee blows his whistle, signifying the start of the game's second half. "Hey, you got this. Give 'em hell," Felicity winks playfully at him before retreating to the bleachers.

Oliver watches her, laughing and shaking his head as he heads back onto the field, finally feeling like he can win.

The second half of the game is like watching a phoenix rise from the ashes. Somehow, Oliver comes back playing better than ever, leading the Starling City Prep Archers to their first win of the season and hopefully not their last. What everyone doesn't know is that they have a certain blonde to thank.

After the game, Felicity walks behind the bleachers to get to her car in the parking lot. She sees something in the corner of her eye and turns to see a girl sitting on one of the benches, and she appears to be crying. Felicity moves closer to the girl, immediately realizing who it is. "Sara? Are you okay?"

Sara and Felicity have never really talked to each other, but when they did, they'd always been civil. The other blonde looks up, quickly wiping her cheeks with the backs of her hands. "Felicity, hey. Uh, yeah. I'm fine, just allergies or something."

Felicity nods her head softly and moves to sit next to Sara on the bench, "Do you want to talk about it?"

She huffs, "I'm so stupid. Laurel still hasn't spoken to me. She hates me and I don't know what to do."

"Obviously, you made a mistake, but you're not the only one, Sara. No matter how mad she may be now, Laurel's your sister and she loves you. No guy, not even Oliver Queen, can come between family. Just give it some time. Everything with work itself out eventually."

Sara smiles softly. "Thanks, Felicity. You're a really nice person, nicer than I deserve right now."

Laughing, Felicity stands and looks down at Sara. "Sometimes good people do bad things; that doesn't make them any less good. If you ever need someone to talk to, you have my number. I'm always here to listen." Felicity continues to her car after Sara offers her thanks, feeling glad that she may have just made a new friend.

* * *

It's around 3:00 am when Oliver finally gets home, stumbling through the front door feeling a bit tipsy. After they won the game, one of the defenders, Carter Bowen, threw a victory party where he and Tommy had a little too much to drink. One of Tommy's drivers just dropped him off because he couldn't drive.

He starts to ascend the stairs to get some much-needed sleep when his mother calls his name from behind, hurrying into the foyer.

"Oliver! Where have you been?! I have been calling you for hours!" Moira asks frantically, tear tracks visible on her face.

He retreats back down the stairs, reaching out to place his hands on Moira's shoulders. "I turned off my phone. Mom, what's going on?"

Taking a deep breath, Moira answers, "Honey, it's your father. There's been an accident."


	5. Chapter 5

**The story's title is from the song "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!. All of the chapter titles come from various songs by the same band.**

 **The link to the polyvore sets for each chapter can be found in my profile.**

 **Follow me on tumblr - my username is** ** _emily-betts_** _ **.**_

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any original characters that may be added in later. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to CW Television and DC Comics.**

* * *

 **At Least You Were Thrown Clear (I'm Still Stuck in Here)**

 _ **September 2007**_

 _Oliver sat on the swing set in his backyard and stared at the ground before looking up at the sound of approaching footsteps, surprised to see his best friend._

 _"What are you doing out here? Thea wants to watch a movie with us before it's her bed time and apparently, 'Ollie has to watch it or I won't sleep!'," she said with a laugh while she continued to walk towards him. It was a warm night and the dark sky was littered with stars, the shining light illuminating Felicity and casting a glow around her that made her look like an angel._

 _She finally reached the swings and sat on her usual one next to Oliver. "You okay?"_

 _"Yeah, I'm just thinking about tomorrow."_

 _"Ah, yes, your first day of high school. Are you nervous? Everything's gonna be fine, you'll be with Tommy."_

 _"Yeah, I know. It's just -" Oliver cut himself off, looking down in embarrassment._

 _"Just what? C'mon Oliver. You can talk to me, you know that. No matter what, right?" she reached out and held his hand._

 _"Yeah, okay. I uh, I was at soccer practice yesterday. We were all talking about how we're starting high school and how we're gonna party a lot and I don't know, stupid guy stuff. Anyway, Carter said that he's finally dating Joanna and everyone started talking about all the girls that they've done stuff with. And they kinda found out that I," he sighed and reluctantly continued, "I haven't kissed a girl yet. And they were just giving me a hard time about it."_

 _Felicity resisted the urge to laugh at how dramatic he had made the situation out to be. "Oliver, who cares what they think? They're all stupid, immature idiots."_

 _"But they're right Felicity. I'm pathetic! High school is starting and I'm Oliver Queen! Girls are supposed to be running after me and I haven't even so much as kissed one before," he complained, staring down at his lap._

 _Felicity watched him carefully behind her glasses before she reached over and placed her hand on his cheek, turning his face towards her. He gazed at her, brows furrowed in confusion._

 _"What are you -" Oliver began to ask._

 _"- shh," she interrupted. Inching closer to his face, her eyes drifted down to his lips before returning to his crystal blue eyes. Oliver sat frozen as Felicity softly placed her lips on his, the kiss only lasting a few seconds before she pulled away._

 _Her shining eyes flickered back to his as she licked her lips before whispering, "Now you have."_

 _Before Oliver had the chance to say anything, Felicity stood and walked back towards the mansion. His fingers drifted up towards his mouth, gently touching where her lips had been just moments ago, before he followed her into the house. Deep down, he knew why she'd done it, so that he could tell all his friends. But he wouldn't do that; he couldn't. She was more than just some random girl that he kissed, she was Felicity. His Felicity. His everything._

* * *

 **September 2009**

Oliver has this memory; _he's probably six years old and all he wanted to do was be like his dad. So, he got dressed up in a suit and tie, and begged his mother to let him go to work with Robert. Unable to resist her son's already too-charming smile, she dropped him off at QC with a little briefcase in his hands. Robert had smiled so wide when he had seen Oliver looking like a mini version of himself; he looked so proud. He had taken Oliver to all his meetings, the other businessmen pretending like he wasn't a little kid playing dress-up. During Robert's last meeting of the day, Oliver had gotten bored, so he went into his father's office to play with the toy cars that Moira had packed him, just in case. Rolling them around on top of the glass desk making 'vroom' noises, Oliver accidentally sent a large stack of papers tumbling to the floor._

 _"Oliver!" Robert's voice boomed through the executive office._

 _He stared at his dad with wide eyes, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"_

 _"Go into the hallway, I'm calling your mother. I knew I never should have let you come here," Robert yelled as he crouched to the floor to gather the fallen papers._

 _"But Dad -" Oliver started in a pleading tone._

 _"- No! Just get out of my office, Oliver," he interrupted without looking towards his son. Fighting the urge to cry, Oliver retreated from the office into the main hallway where Robert's then-secretary was sitting, his shoulders sagged._

That's the first time that Oliver remembers ever disappointing his father.

Now he's standing in a graveyard, staring at a long black coffin and he hasn't even shed a single tear.

* * *

Robert Queen was a decent man; a shitty father, yes, but a decent man overall. He loved his family, even if he had a hell of a way of showing it, and he cared about what happened to the people that worked for him. He'd always been kind to Felicity, welcoming her into his home whenever she needed, and she can't believe he's gone. One idiot driver and Moira has lost a husband, Oliver and Thea have lost a father, and Felicity has lost someone she had considered family. It's crazy, how quickly things can change; how one person can change your entire life in the blink of an eye. Or in the color change of a traffic light.

Felicity shifts uncomfortably in her seat, the sun beating down on her as she listens to the minister go on and on about how Robert was taken too soon from this world. Looking to her right, she sees Oliver sitting a few feet away from her with Moira and Thea, staring ahead blankly as his baby sister cries into their mother's side. Crying for the graduation that her dad will never witness; the aisle he'll never walk her down; the grandchild he'll never hold.

It seems like almost half of Starling City is here, the grounds littered with business associates, family friends, and of course: the press. But none of those people matter to Felicity. The only person that matters to her is the sandy-haired, blue-eyed boy that is too young to have to live in a world where things like this happen.

The minister that is officiating the service calls for Moira to come up and give her speech. She walks towards where her husband's lifeless body lay inside a wooden box on shaky legs. As she stands silently in front of the crowd of heartbroken friends, Moira takes in a stuttering breath and tries to find her voice.

Looking at Oliver - so broken, so empty - Felicity wriggles free from the grasp Tommy has on her waist. He throws her a questioning glance, but she doesn't care. All she sees is Oliver, and all that matters is getting to him. She takes Moira's empty seat between the two Queen children and reaches out, her right arm wrapping itself around Oliver's left. She immediately entwines their fingers, stroking the outside of his hand lightly with the pad of her thumb, the slight squeeze of her hand the only sign that Oliver is aware of her presence.

With one more deep inhale, Moira starts her eulogy. "Thank you everyone, for coming. I know that many of you may not have known Robert very well, if at all, but I cannot begin to express how much your support means to myself and my family. My husband was a good man: intelligent, driven, kind and loving. He loved our family with everything he had and it sickens me to think of how my children lost their father. The mistake of one man ended the life of another. It's hard for me to reconcile a world where that is just, where that is fair. But I've realized that life is not fair. Things happen with no warning, no explanation. My husband was a good man. I loved him; I will always love him. He was taken too soon, and he will be deeply missed."

At this point, nearly everyone in the audience is emotional, having shed a tear or two at least at witnessing the widow's raw emotion. Except for Oliver. His face remains stoic as he stares straight ahead, jaw clenched so tightly his teeth ache. He doesn't make a single sound as he stands along with the rest of the crowd, hands clasped together in front of his waist. Felicity rests her head on Oliver's shoulder and watches as the casket is lowered into ground.

* * *

After the service, all attendees were encouraged to return to the Queen Mansion and almost everyone did. The main room is full of people, scattered around and quietly chatting. Felicity is standing near the side of the room, looking out at the changing leaves littering the grass of the backyard through the large bay windows. She feels a familiar hand at the small of her back and half-turns to find Tommy, offering her a small glass of water. She accepts gratefully, taking a few large gulps down her dry throat.

"How are you doing?" Tommy questions in a gentle tone.

"Me? I'm fine. I mean, my dad didn't just die so I'm nice and dandy. Obviously, I'm upset, but it's not like he was my family. I mean, I kind of thought of him as family, because of Oliver, but he wasn't _really_ my family. And I will stop talking in 3...2...1," Felicity says in one breath before inhaling deeply through her nose.

Tommy can't fight the small laugh that bubbles from his lips at his babbling girlfriend. "No, I get it. He was like a second father to me with the number of nights I spent here as a kid, even as a teenager. I just can't believe he's gone."

"Yeah," she responds quietly.

"How's Oliver?"

"What?"

"Oliver. How is he? You sat next to him at the funeral, so I figured you talked to him."

"Uh no, I haven't. He didn't say anything and," she looks around before sighing, "He's not here."

"He's probably just in his room trying to process everything. I -" he's cut off by his father calling his name from across the room, "Hey, I'll call you later, okay?"

Felicity nods, a small smile on her face as he kisses her cheek and then proceeds to exit the room. She turns back to the window, spying the swing set that holds a special place in her heart. Her mind is bombarded with memories of her and Oliver sitting on that swing set. She feels an ache for him in her heart, an ache for the pain he must be going through. She knows that it's wrong, but a little part of her can't help but hate Robert for this final infliction of pain on his only son.

* * *

After offering her condolences to both Moira and Thea, the latter having cried in her lap for about twenty minutes, Felicity returns home. Her mother is working late at the restaurant where she is a hostess, so she has the house to herself. Needing to unwind and forget the emotional day, Felicity decides to take a nice long, hot bubble bath.

Staying in the tub until her fingers look like raisins, the exhaustion from today's events finally settles in and Felicity wants nothing more than to fall asleep in her soft, plush bed. After getting dressed in simple pajamas and brushing the knots out of her hair before braiding it loosely, Felicity retreats into her bedroom to unexpectedly find a figure sitting on her bed.

"Oh my god! Holy shi - you scared the crap out of me!" she exclaims, hand flying to cover her heart.

"I'm sorry. I used my key. I just... I didn't know where else to go," Oliver says with a voice that can only be described as _broken._

She crosses the expanse of her room, bare feet padding softly across the carpet, until she stands in front of him. "Oliver..."

"The last thing I said to him was that he was a terrible father and that I was glad that I was nothing like him. And now -" his voice cracks.

She settles beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and rubbing up and down his arm gently. "Oh, Oliver... I'm so sorry."

"Felicity... He's dead. My dad is dead. And he died thinking I didn't love him. And I can never take that back." A few tears begin to fall slowly down his cheeks.

"Hey, that is not true, okay? He loved you Oliver. And no matter what you said, he knew that you loved him too."

"I don't know where to go from here."

"Just tell me what I can do; tell me what you need, Oliver."

Oliver turns his head to look at her. His hand lifts to gently caress her face, thumb rubbing affectionately across her cheekbone. Felicity feels her breath stutter as he gazes deeply into her eyes, getting lost in his seemingly never ending pools of blue. "You, Felicity. I just need you."

It's as if time stops and she's frozen. Nothing else in the world matters but her and Oliver, right here, right now. She thinks that he's going to kiss her and she finds herself _wanting_ him to.

But he doesn't. Instead, he just completely breaks down. He falls forward onto her lap, his body folding in on itself. Oliver grips her thighs fiercely, like if he wasn't holding onto her he would be falling, drifting away. And maybe he would be. But not tonight. Tonight, he lays his head on her lap and just cries while she runs her fingers through his hair, rubbing soothing circles across his back. Tonight, he isn't falling. He isn't drifting away into nothingness. And he isn't alone.


	6. Chapter 6

**The story's title is from the song "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!. All of the chapter titles come from various songs by the same band.**

 **The link to the polyvore sets for each chapter can be found in my profile.**

 **Follow me on tumblr - my username is** ** _emily-betts_** _ **.**_

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any original characters that may be added in later. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to CW Television and DC Comics.**

* * *

 **Maybe It's Me Trying to be Everything I Think You Need (And Maybe You Love Me)**

 _ **March 2008**_

 _Felicity grumbled to herself and shuffled her feet as she walked home, pink backpack securely draped over her shoulder. Usually, Oliver's driver would bring him by after school to pick her up. But not today, because apparently, she and Oliver were no longer friends. Ever since starting high school, Oliver had changed. When around her, he was his usual self - goofy, sweet, and funny with just a touch of cockiness. But lately when surrounded by other people, he was different, acting like the arrogant, spoiled playboy people thought he was._

 _Recently, he had started dating a gorgeous brunette named Helena, spending more and more time with her. The problem wasn't that he had stopped spending as much time with Felicity; the problem was that he hadn't. Helena was an extremely possessive girl, and she became jealous easily. Seeing firsthand the closeness of Oliver and Felicity's friendship, she had demanded that Oliver no longer be friends with her. When Oliver had told Felicity about the ridiculous request, she panicked. She told him that she understood; that they were bound to grow apart considering he was a year older than her; that Helena was his girlfriend and was more important. After her rant, Oliver hadn't said anything, so she quickly said goodbye and practically ran away from the front of her middle school._

 _Which was how she'd found herself walking home through the Glades and deeply regretting it. Rounding a corner, she felt the presence of someone following her, so she slowed her step and turned around, surprised to see a sleek black town car pulling up to the curb. Oliver stepped out of the car, no doubt having told his driver that he could open his own door._

 _Confused, Felicity asked, "Oliver, what are you doing here?" He was supposed to be on a date with Helena._

 _"Well, you ran away from me," he responded, finally reaching her on the sidewalk._

 _"Yeah, I just thought -"_

 _"- I broke up with Helena," he interrupted._

 _"Oliver, why would you do that?"_

 _"Because she's just a girl - who's a little crazy, not gonna lie. And you're my best friend, Felicity."_

 _"But you really like her. You should choose -"_

 _"- Fel-i-ci-ty," he said, separating every part of her name, savoring the way each syllable sounded when it fell from his lips. He stepped forward, grasping her hands in his and squeezing gently. "She asked me to never speak to you again. There was no choice to make."_

 _Felicity squeezed back, a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth as his eyes shined down at her. He tilted his head back towards the town car, "Now let's go. You know that I don't like you walking through the Glades by yourself."_

 _She rolled her eyes as she made her way to the car, not releasing Oliver's hand even as they sat down on the plush leather seats._

* * *

 **October 2009**

It's been three weeks since Robert Queen's funeral - three weeks since Oliver broke down in Felicity's arms - and the two best friends have been inseparable. Spending almost every night at either one of each other's houses, Oliver had opened up a lot about how he was feeling about his father's death, about the guilt he carries with him every day. And Felicity just listens, sometimes talking about her own father as well. They've grown closer than ever, which in turn has made Oliver's feelings grow stronger than ever. He doesn't know exactly what it is, but he knows that he has never felt it before.

Their relationship has reached a point where his feelings are becoming overwhelming, which is why he decided to spend the day at home with his kid sister. Honestly, Oliver is worried about Thea. Part of him believes she hasn't fully processed what happened because she often refers to their father like he'll be home after work in a few hours. But at other times, she regards their father as if he's just a memory that she knows isn't returning.

The siblings sit on the sofa, munching on Raisa's famous chocolate chip pancakes and watching Saturday morning cartoons. Thea gazes over at her older brother with a curious expression. "Where's Lissy? She loves cartoons."

Oliver looks at her out of the corner of his eye before returning his nervous gaze to the mouse that's currently stepping on the cat's tail on the screen. "Uh, she's at her house, Speedy."

"Well, why isn't she here? She's always here and I miss her. She's the bestest."

A soft smile finds its way onto his face. "I know, Speedy. She's pretty amazing," he says wistfully.

"Ollie, can I ask you something? Be honest!"

He finally turns his head to look at the somber look that she wears, "Sure, you can ask me anything."

After a moment, Thea finally asks in a curious tone, "Do you love Lissy?"

His jaw going slack, he stutters a response. "Um, yeah. Yeah, I guess. I mean, yes. I do. She's one of my closest friends."

"I know that, silly. I wanna know if you _love_ love her. Like the kissing kind of love. Because I think you do, and I think she loves you too. You should kiss her, Ollie, because she's the only one to make you smile after Daddy," her serious expression quickly turns into one of excitement as she gasps, "What if you get married?! Then Lissy will be my sister!"

Oliver laughs nervously, "Calm down, Speedy. Me and Felicity aren't gonna get married. Don't you remember that she's dating Tommy? I thought Tommy was your 'favoritest person ever'?"

She scoffs and rolls her eyes, "Not over _you,_ dummy!"

He looks at her profile as she turns back to the flat screen tv, amazed at the younger Queen. They're going to be okay; he can feel it.

* * *

Felicity can't help letting her mind wander as she studies at Caitlin's house. After Oliver showed up in her room three weeks ago, they've been spending more time together than ever, and Felicity has never been so confused. She is a smart girl, a genius by anyone's standards and there is nothing she hates more than feeling confused about something, feeling helpless.

"Felicity!" Caitlin says, snapping her fingers in front of her face to get her attention.

"Sorry, what?"

"I asked what you got for number seven," she glances down at Felicity's paper, "Which you haven't done yet. What's on your mind?"

Felicity sighs before burying her face into her hands, "I don't know what I'm doing Cait! I think... I think I have feelings for someone - someone who isn't Tommy."

Caitlin looks at her sympathetically, a small knowing smile appearing on her face, "Oliver."

Removing her hands from her face, she looks up, "Am I that obvious?"

"Sweetie, it's been obvious since you were like, ten years old. I just thought that you were over that."

"So did I. But lately, we've been hanging out a lot and talking. And after his dad's funeral, we had a moment where," she takes a deep breath before continuing, "I thought he was going to kiss me. And when he didn't, I was disappointed. Cait, I'm a terrible person!"

Putting her arm around the blonde's shoulders, Caitlin reassures, "No you're not. You're human. You are the kindest, most compassionate person that I have ever known and if you could control your feelings, I know that you would. I think you just need to be honest with yourself."

"But I don't know what I feel, Cait."

"I know, but you'll figure it out."

Tommy is sitting in his Porsche in the driveway when Felicity leaves Caitlin's house. She slowly approaches the car, thinking about her conversation with Caitlin, and gets in the passenger seat.

"Thanks for picking me up. Mom needed the car for work," she says, not looking at Tommy.

He doesn't seem to notice her behavior because he just smiles, "No problem, Lis. I actually wanted to ask if you wanted to go see a movie."

"I'd really like that, but I can't. I think I'm going over to Oliver's tonight," she explains, trying to keep her voice steady. Felicity turns her head when she hears Tommy sigh loudly. He's staring straight ahead, gripping the steering wheel tightly in clear annoyance. "Look, I'm sorry about the movie. We can go see it tomorrow or something."

"It's not about the movie Lis. It's about Oliver. You've been spending a lot of time with him lately."

Felicity glares at him, trying to conceal her growing anger at his tone. "His father just died and he needs me. You of all people should understand, considering you claim that he's your best friend."

"He _is_ my best friend, but he's not attached to _my_ hip, is he? I get it, his dad died. But does he have to hang out with _my_ girlfriend all the time?" he sighs as he pulls into her driveway.

She stares at him in astonishment before quickly getting out of the car and starting towards her house.

"Lis, c'mon! I'm sorry. You know I love Ollie and I'm glad he has you. I just wish he would open up to me, I guess. And I miss you," Tommy calls after her. He follows her to the front door, placing his hand on her elbow and turning her around.

Felicity sighs in understanding. She knows how much he's been missing Oliver the past couple months, "I know. Maybe tomorrow, you and Oliver can see the movie instead?"

"Yeah, yeah that's a good idea. Call me later though?"

"Of course," she says before placing a soft kiss to his cheek.

"I love you," Tommy says with a wistful look on his face before retreating to his car. He doesn't even notice the fact that Felicity doesn't say it back.

* * *

Her conversation earlier that afternoon with Tommy did nothing to appease Felicity's confusion. Nervously wringing her hands together, she stands outside Oliver's bedroom door, reluctant to go in for their long overdue movie night. However, her doubts are proved useless when the door swings open and Oliver is standing in front of her. Shirtless. _Of course._

He looks at her, a small smile tugging up the corners of his mouth. "Why are you standing in the hallway?"

"Uhh," she stutters. She is trying really hard to find words to respond with but _hot damn. You could bounce coins off those abs - those perfectly tanned abs. Oh my god, what is going on with me?! LOOK AT HIS FACE FELICITY! SPEAK!_ "I was just about to knock," she manages to spit out.

If he notices her wandering eyes, he doesn't show it because he simply turns around and retreats into his room. "Okay, well, I put a stack of movies and the obvious junk food near the foot of my bed," he calls to her while finally putting on a t-shirt, causing Felicity to release the breath she doesn't realize she's holding as the door closes.

"Awesome. Let me guess: horror movies?"

"Felicity. Do you know who you're talking to?" he asks with a tilt of his head and a laugh falling easily from his lips.

She laughs as she settles into the abundance of fluffy pillows atop Oliver's bed, holding out a movie for him to pop into the tv. After pressing play, he climbs onto the bed until his body is mere inches from hers, so close that she can feel the heat radiating from his skin. Sighing, Felicity can't stop the nervous thoughts from running through her mind. _This is gonna be a long night._

They are about halfway through their second movie, which just so happens to be "It", and Felicity is wondering why they picked this movie. She hates clowns. And horror movies, come to think of it.

During a particularly creepy part, the ones where you just know something terrible is about to happen, Felicity can't help the small shriek that leaves her lips before she grabs Oliver's bicep with a death grip, burying her face into his shoulder.

"Felicity, if you hate horror movies so much, why do you always suggest them? We can watch something else," Oliver asks while looking down at her, hand unconsciously rubbing soothing circles on her leg.

She lifts her chin and _wow; his face is super close._ "Because you like them, and I know that you'll protect me. I always feel safe with you," she explains, voice barely above a whisper.

The movie all but forgotten, Felicity stares up under long lashes into Oliver's eyes, which she notices are much darker than usual. His eyes then flicker to her lips, tongue darting out to wet his own, before meeting hers once more. Ever so slowly, Oliver's face begins to move closer to hers, giving her enough time to pull away if she wants to. She doesn't. Instead, she finds herself closing her eyes and slowly shortening the remaining distance between them. Their lips just barely touch when a violent scream sounds from the television making them both jump, breaking the spell they were in.

Both of them quickly pull away, looking anywhere but at each other. Head feeling foggy, Felicity pushes the assortment of candy off her lap and rises from the bed. "I have to go," she offers lamely, unable to meet his eyes. She is out the door before Oliver has a chance to stop her. Running out of the mansion and to her car as fast as she can, Felicity can't stop the tears from falling down her face. _I need to see Tommy. Now._


	7. Chapter 7

**The story's title is from the song "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!. All of the chapter titles come from various songs by the same band.**

 **The link to the polyvore sets for each chapter can be found in my profile.**

 **Follow me on tumblr - my username is** ** _emily-betts_** _ **.**_

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any original characters that may be added in later. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to CW Television and DC Comics.**

* * *

 **We Both Could Use This Fire Escape (Cause I've Been Breathing Ashes In)**

 _ **June 2008**_

 _Almost the entire school had gathered at the Queen Mansion for the first party of the summer. Not only had school just ended but Oliver's 16th birthday was a few weeks ago on May 16, so obviously, everyone had to celebrate it in the grandest way possible._

 _Felicity, on the other hand, absolutely hated parties. Especially high school parties. She'd always joke about how she and Oliver were complete opposites; he hated school and loved parties, while she loved school and couldn't stand parties. The drinking, the dancing, the crowds - no thank you. But Oliver had wanted her to attend because while the party was technically for him, her birthday had been exactly two weeks after his. And of course, she couldn't say no to his charming grin and warm crystal eyes._

 _So, that's how she found herself standing to the side of the mansion's main room, uncomfortably observing the grinding partygoers. Not only that, but in the opposite corner of the room, Oliver was so obviously flirting with the one and only Laurel Lance. Felicity called her 'Gorgeous Laurel' because she was so perfect. And no, Felicity wasn't jealous of her. Not at all. Okay, maybe a little - but just because she was the current object of Oliver's affections. Damn her and her perfect smile._

 _Caitlin approached Felicity, moving to stand next to her. "Stop sulking in the corner and enjoy yourself, Felicity. It was just your birthday and school is finally over! Celebrate!"_

 _"I am," Felicity grumbled in response while still glaring at Oliver with Gorgeous Laurel._

 _Caitlin's eyes darted between the brunette and the couple across the room, realization hitting her. Her mouth fell open as she gasped, "Oh my god! You totally like Oliver!"_

 _Eyes wide, Felicity turned towards her friend, shaking her head frantically. "What? No, I don't. Why would you think that? I mean, why would I even like him? Just because he has the most incredible blue eyes I have ever seen that actually sparkle in the light or the most perfect smile? Not to mention how amazing it sounds when he lets himself really laugh until he can't breathe or how passionate he gets when he talks about soccer," she explained, getting a far off look on her face before she snapped herself back to reality, "Because I have not noticed any of those things. Ever. Wait, who are we talking about? I don't even remember."_

 _Caitlin tried and failed to stifle a laugh. "You should tell him how you feel. Sweetie, I see the way he looks at you. That boy is crazy about you."_

 _"What? No Cait, trust me, he doesn't feel that way about me. And he never will. And I've accepted that."_

 _"Felicity -"_

 _She interrupted, "- It's fine, Cait. It just isn't meant to be. I'm gonna go get some air, this party is getting a little crazy for me." Felicity turned and pushed her way through the crowd and out the side door to the backyard. Closing the door behind her, she breathed in the fresh summer night air._

 _Spotting the familiar wooden posts near the tree line of the gardens, she made her way towards them. When she finally reached them, she took a seat on the red swing, swaying gently back and forth. She thought about what Caitlin had said about Oliver. It was crazy to think that Oliver could ever reciprocate her rapidly growing feelings, especially now that he was clearly interested in Gorgeous Laurel. "Gorgeous Laurel," she grumbled to herself and scoffed._

 _After being out there for what felt like hours, but was barely ten minutes, Felicity looked up at the sound of soft footsteps wading through the short grass. She knew who it was before she even looked up from her lap._

 _"I couldn't find you in there. Somehow I knew this is where you would be," Oliver said with a grin as he sat in the swing beside her - his swing._

 _"Well, you do know me, Mr. Queen."_

 _"Better than anyone, Ms. Smoak." He eyed her with a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips._

 _Felicity rolled her eyes at him, "Shouldn't you be inside hosting your party?" she asked, waving her hand vaguely towards the house._

 _"I guess. But you're out here," he answered like it was the simplest question he'd ever been asked._

 _She looked straight ahead, trying to ignore the way her stomach fluttered and her breath hitched at his words. "I just needed some air. You know that I'm not the biggest fan of parties."_

 _"Yes but this is my party. A party that I threw for you, by the way."_

 _"What? You did not," she looked at him, mouth slightly agape in disbelief._

 _He turned to her with a smile, "Yes I did. I know everyone thinks that this is an 'end-of-the-school-year-plus-it-was-my-birthday-a-few-weeks-ago' party, but it's not. Secretly, it's for you. For your birthday. Because if anyone deserves to feel special with a giant party, it's you. Also, it gave me the perfect opportunity to give you this," he pulled out a small box along with a card and handed them to her. "You can open the box now, but don't read the card in front of me. It's more dramatic that way."_

 _She chuckled as she accepted the gifts with a skeptical eye, putting the card with her name scrawled across the front in his distinctive handwriting underneath her leg. Felicity silently cursed herself at the way her fingers trembled when she saw the tiny heart drawn beside her name. Holding onto the box, she removed the lid and could not contain the gasp that escaped her lips. "Oliver… This is too much. I can't accept this." She looked down at the beautiful necklace; it was a short chain with a tiny gold, diamond encrusted heart hanging down. It was so simple but so incredibly_ her.

 _Oliver grabbed it from her hands, fingers touching hers and igniting a spark between them that neither one of them had missed. With one hand, he turned her back towards him slightly and swept all her hair over one shoulder. He reached over and put the necklace on her, fingers lingering on her skin before she turned back to face him, faces closer than either of them expected. "There. It's perfect."_

 _"Yeah," she breathed out, voice barely a whisper and she'd have been surprised if he had even heard it. Time stood still as his eyes flicked to her lips before locking on hers. He slowly started to lean in when someone called both their names from the distance._

 _"Ollie! Lis! We're gonna cut the cake, with or without you guys!" Tommy yelled from the back porch of the mansion before he retreated inside to the crowd of drunk teenagers._

 _Oliver and Felicity quickly jumped apart, avoiding each other's gazes. He cleared his throat, trying to ease the awkwardness from the atmosphere, "Uh, we should head in."_

 _"Yeah, that's a good idea. Thank you for the necklace, Oliver. It's amazing. I love it."_

 _Oliver gazed at her with a smile that took her breath away, "Anything for you."_

* * *

 **October 2009**

Since it's only a little bit after 6:00 pm, Felicity heads straight over to Tommy's house. She has no idea what she is going to tell him but she knows this isn't right. She can't stay in a relationship with Tommy when just a little while ago, she found herself wanting to kiss Oliver. She can't do that to Tommy; he deserves more than that.

She approaches his front door, quickly knocking before she loses her courage and lets her nerves take over. The door whips open and Tommy looks at her in surprise before smiling, "Lis, what are you doing here? I thought you were at Oliver's."

"Um, I didn't go. Can I come in? We need to talk," she explains, wringing her hands together in front of her.

He looks at her in concern and steps aside, allowing her entrance. "Sure, come sit down."

They sit on the couch silently for a few minutes while Felicity tries to find the right words. "I can't do this," she says quietly, focusing down on her lap.

"No? Do you want to go up to my room? There will be more privacy, I guess," he starts to stand, not fully understanding what she means.

She grabs his arm, pulling him back down to sit. "No, I can't do _this._ Us."

Tommy stares at her, blinking rapidly, processing what she just said. "Wait, what? I thought we were good after earlier. I'm sorry about how I acted."

She reaches out and grips his hand in both of hers, "No Tommy, it's not that. I promise you didn't do anything wrong. If I'm being honest, I've been feeling this way for a few weeks. I've just... I've been thinking a lot lately about how I feel and... I care about you so much. I love you, I do…"

"But you're not in love with me anymore," he concludes, pulling his hand out of her grasp. That action hurts Felicity like a knife to the chest causing tears to immediately spring to her eyes.

"Honestly, I don't know. Tommy, I'm so sorry. I just need some time to myself, to think about what I want. You're the last person I ever wanted to hurt," she tries to make him understand.

Tommy's hurt expression slowly turns to one of anger. He asks in a low tone while avoiding her eyes, "Is there someone else?"

Felicity doesn't know what to do. If she says yes, all she will do is hurt him. Because she's realized that the answer _is_ yes. Even though nothing has actually happened with Oliver, all of the feelings that she thought she was over have sprung back to her as if they were never gone. She can't even remember a time where she didn't have these feelings for him. _Is it love? Do I love Oliver?_ She doesn't know. But what she does know is that she can't look Tommy in the eyes and lie to him. Tears begin to slowly fall down her face as she remains silent. Without looking at him, she barely manages, "No."

His head rises at her response and he stands from the couch in anger, shoulders tense. "You've always been a terrible liar. If you cheated on me, own up to it and tell me to my face, Lis!"

Felicity shoots up from her sitting position, "No! Tommy, I would never do that. Nothing has happened with him!" She realizes her accidental admittance too late as Tommy's face grows angrier than she has ever seen. "Tommy…"

"Who is he?"

"Tommy, please."

"Felicity! Who is he?"

She stands there silently staring at him, tears racing down her cheeks uncontrollably.

"Did you _fuck_ him?"

"Tommy, no! I told you, I would never do that!"

"But you have feelings for him. Are you in love with him?"

After a few moments, she answers, "I honestly don't know if I love him. But… I feel _something_ for him. If I could stop it, I would. But I can't. He just… I can't explain it. Tommy, you have to know that I never wanted this. I never wanted to hurt you, you're one of my closest friends and I care about you so much. And now I've ruined everything and I know that I'll lose our friendship forever, but I had to tell you. I couldn't lie anymore."

She watches as his face softens, his anger turning into a look of pure heartbreak. He sighs, "Thank you, I guess, for telling me the truth. I know that you'd never hurt me on purpose, Lis. I understand that you're confused about what you feel so I think you should take some time to yourself to think about what it is you want. And when you do decide, I'll still be here. And no matter what, you'll never lose my friendship. I care about you too much. But right now, I can't be around you."

"I understand. That means a lot Tommy, thank you," she looks down and wipes her cheeks with the backs of her hands, "I guess I'll just go now." With that, she turns and walks away from Tommy, relieved that while she may be walking away from something great, she could be walking towards something irreplaceable.

* * *

Oliver hasn't seen or talked to Felicity in almost a week and it is literally killing him. After they almost kissed in his room and she ran away, he followed her but by the time he got outside, she was already speeding down the driveway.

He also hasn't talked to Tommy, the guilt eating away at him. However, he can't avoid his best friend anymore as he walks towards the field for soccer practice after school. He sees Tommy and the rest of the guys lacing up their cleats, a few of them already passing around the ball waiting for their captain's arrival. As he gets to the field and places down his gym bag, a few guys call out a greeting to him and he nods in acknowledgement. Walking up to Tommy on the bench, he tries to hide his nerves, "Hey man."

Tommy looks up, relieved at the sight of his best friend. "Ollie, where have you been?"

Noticing his almost frantic tone, Oliver furrows his brows in both confusion and concern, "Sorry, my mom is still really struggling after what happened. I've been taking care of her. What's up?"

"Felicity broke up with me."

That statement shocks Oliver, "What? When?"

"Last Saturday, when she was supposed to have her movie night thing with you that I'm assuming she cancelled."

He looks away, trying to hide the guilty look that crosses his face, "Uh, did she say why?"

Tommy scoffs, "Yeah, get this. She has feelings for some other guy."

His head shoots up at that, his mouth agape. "What? Tommy, I'm sure that's not true."

"Ollie, she admitted it. She wouldn't tell me who it was but when I find out, you and me are gonna kick his ass."

"Wait, so she said she likes this guy? And it was last Saturday, right? Did something happen with the guy?"

"No, she said that nothing had actually happened and I believe her. But still, she said she doesn't know if she loves me or if she loves this douchebag. She needs time to think, apparently."

Oliver zones out, getting lost in his thoughts. _Felicity broke up with Tommy. And told him that she has feelings for another guy. After she was just almost kissing me. Holy shit. Holy shit!_

Coach Wilson blows his whistle, pulling Oliver back to reality and his conversation with Tommy. All he wants to do - no, all he _needs_ to do is go see Felicity and talk to her about everything. Letting out a sigh, he jogs out onto the field. _This is gonna be a long practice._

* * *

After practice, Oliver drives home as fast as he can without risking getting pulled over by the police. He takes a shower, washing away the sweat from his intense soccer practice - Coach Wilson is a real asshole - and texts Felicity before getting dressed.

 _ **From Oliver:**_

 _ **Come over as soon as you can, we need to talk. It's important. Please?**_

He places his phone on his nightstand and towel dries his hair. After a few minutes, his phone dings with a new text message.

 _ **From Felicity:**_

 _ **I'm on my way.**_

Oliver can't help the smile that spreads across his face and the way his heart stutters in anticipation. He runs downstairs, telling Raisa that Felicity is coming over and to tell the younger girl to meet him outside. Going to their spot, he sits on his swing and he waits.

It takes about twenty minutes until he sees her walk out the back door, approaching him slowly wearing the same outfit she had worn to school that day. When Felicity reaches him, she stops a few feet away before speaking, "So what's so important that I needed to come over right away?"

"Here, come sit down."

She stares at her feet. "I think I'd rather stand," the words _far away from you_ remain unsaid, hanging though the air.

Oliver nods his head solemnly, trying to figure out where to start. "I talked to Tommy today. He told me that you guys broke up."

"Yeah well, things just weren't working out between us anymore. But I don't see why that's any of your business."

"Because he told me the reason, Felicity. That you have feelings for another guy?"

Felicity looks up, shaking her head in disbelief, "I can't believe he told you that."

"But it's true," he doesn't question, just states what he knows is the truth.

The blonde sighs, "I can't do this with you, Oliver," she concludes before turning around and beginning to retreat towards the house.

"It's me, isn't it?" he calls out to her, making her halt her steps and turn to face him.

Shrugging helplessly, she shakes her head softly, "What do you want me to say, Oliver?"

"Nothing. I want you to listen." He steps towards her so that there are only a few feet separating them. "Do you remember when we met? It was a Wednesday and it was raining, so we had indoor recess. I came to your classroom. I wasn't even gonna go to school that day. I was going to fake being sick so that me and Tommy could play video games. But I just felt like I had to be at school that day. And now I know why. Felicity, for my entire life, everyone has seen me as Oliver Queen - son of Robert Queen, heir to the family company. I can never completely trust people because they almost always have an ulterior motive; whether it was to meet my dad or because of my money, no one really ever wants to know me. Even when I was a kid, people expected things from me; to be smart and athletic. But then I walked up to your desk. You looked up at me and you were so shy. And you were the first person that saw me as a _person,_ not just a Queen. There was just something about you…"

"I was chewing on a crayon," she offers a bit regretfully.

"It was red."

Felicity gazes up at him in both shock and astonishment. "You remember that?" she questions breathlessly, voice just above a whisper.

Oliver takes a step forward, eliminating the distance between them and gently cupping her face. "I remember everything about you. Every word you've ever said, every conversation we've ever had. Because you are the single most important person in my life and I'm sorry that it's taken me this long to realize it. I know that I'm not the smartest guy ever, but I do know two things. The first is that all my life, you have always been there for me and believed in me."

"And the second thing?" she asks, tears springing to her eyes.

"I love you. I'm _in_ love with you, Felicity."

Felicity's breath hitches as she stares into his eyes, Oliver's flicking down to her mouth before coming back to hers. Slowly, he begins to lean in, just close enough for their breaths to mingle before he stops and waits, eyes boring into hers. Felicity meets him the rest of the way, lips connecting with his as she kisses him fiercely. She wraps her arms around his neck, fingers playing with the ends of his hair causing him to moan into her mouth. He bands his other arm low around her waist, tugging her closer as Felicity moans softly, and Oliver takes the opportunity to run his tongue along the seam of her lips before plunging it into the warmth of her mouth. Everything about this kiss feels right, like they could continue doing it forever. Because in each other's arms, the cool air blowing at their skin, is right where they want to be.


	8. Chapter 8

**The story's title is from the song "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!. All of the chapter titles come from various songs by the same band.**

 **The link to the polyvore sets for each chapter can be found in my profile.**

 **Follow me on tumblr - my username is** ** _emily-betts_** _ **.**_

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any original characters that may be added in later. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to CW Television and DC Comics.**

* * *

 **If Love's Gonna Make Me Waste My Youth (I'm Gonna Waste It All on You)**

 ** _July 2008_**

 _Felicity sat on Caitlin's bed painting her toenails, something obviously on her mind as she zoned into her own little space. Caitlin put down the cerulean colored nail polish in her hand and looked at the blonde with furrowed brows. "Okay, what gives? Painting your nails is like, your favorite thing to do - besides hacking, of course - and you look like someone just kicked your puppy."_

 _Glancing up from the toe she was currently painting, Felicity wore a sullen expression on her face. "It's Oliver. I know that last month I said that I didn't like him, but I was lying. I do like him. A lot."_

 _Caitlin's jaw dropped in a gasp of fake shock, "You don't say?" At Felicity's unamused glare, she reached a hand out to lay atop her friend's. "What happened? Did you tell him how you feel?"_

 _"No, I didn't. And now it's too late. Cait, he's gonna ask out Laurel. He told me," she chuckled humorlessly, "He asked for my advice on how to do it. I am so stupid, thinking he could ever like me the way I like him. He's Oliver Queen and I'm just… me. God, I died my hair blonde to try and impress him! I'm pathetic, Caitlin."_

 _She looked at her with sympathy before squeezing her hand, "Sweetie, I'm so sorry. But you are not pathetic, okay? And maybe you still have a shot! He doesn't know how you feel, but maybe if he knows that you like him, things will change! I mean, you never know until you try."_

 _"But I do know. And I need to try and move on from him," she looked down briefly before flashing Caitlin a smile that was too bright to be genuine. "It's okay though. It just wasn't meant to be. Let's just stop talking about this and get back to painting our nails, okay?"_

 _She nodded her head at the blonde before going back to doing her nails, eyes constantly flickering back up to her friend in worry. Oliver was an idiot and Caitlin was going to do something about it._

 _So, after Felicity left, Caitlin drove over to the Queen Mansion on a mission. She pounded on the door until Oliver answered it, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and still in his rumpled pajamas._

 _He stared at her with confusion written on his face, not expecting to see a girl who he barely knew at his doorstep. "Caitlin? What are you doing here?"_

 _"You're an idiot, Queen."_

 _"Excuse me?"_

 _"Laurel? Laurel Lance? Seriously? Okay, I'm gonna tell you something and you're gonna listen. You are an idiot, okay? You have an amazing girl right in front of you and you're too blind to see her. Felicity is incredible and I think that she likes you, and I also think that you like her too, but you're too dumb to realize it. So, don't ask out Laurel."_

 _Oliver watched her walk away in complete shock, going back inside determined to forget that bizarre exchange. But throughout the day, he couldn't stop himself from thinking about Felicity and all the moments in their relationship where he might have felt something for her; the first time they met and the day she met Tommy. The time he gave her his bracelet on the swings, the night she kissed him under the stars. When he broke up with Helena because the thought of not having Felicity in his life was something he didn't even want to imagine, and just last month when they had almost kissed again._

 _Realizing that maybe Caitlin was right, he started thinking that maybe he should give him and Felicity a shot. Which is why he had texted her and asked her to come over right away. He was sitting on the swings when he spotted her, looking as beautiful as ever. Though, she seemed kind of nervous – she was wringing her hands together in front of her before she adjusted her glasses - and he didn't know why. He stood and walked towards her, a smile on his face._

 _"So, what's so important that I needed to come over right away?" she asked._

 _"I uh, I wanted to talk to you about something."_

 _"Oh. Well, there's actually something that I wanted to talk to you about, too."_

 _"Okay, I'll go first. Felicity, we're… We're really great friends, right?"_

 _"Yeah, we are. Oliver, what is this about? Are you okay?"_

 _"Look, Felicity… I've been thinking a lot today, about us and about our friendship. And I realized something. I -"_

 _"- Tommy asked me out!" Felicity blurted out. Her eyes widened when her brain caught up to her mouth's sudden outburst. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hold it in any longer. That's what I wanted to tell you. I was at the store buying some new equipment for my computers and I randomly ran into Tommy. He told me that he's liked me for a while but was too nervous to tell me. And he asked me out. And I said yes."_

 _Oliver stared at her blankly, her words sinking in. He knew that Tommy had a crush on Felicity but not that he actually liked her, let alone that he would ever ask her out. "Wow. That's uh… That's awesome, Felicity. I didn't know that you liked Tommy like that."_

 _"Neither did I. But he's sweet and cute and I care about him. Why not give it a shot, right? Maybe we can all go on a double date soon - me and Tommy, and you and Laurel," she offered weakly._

 _Oliver looked at her and nodded, a forced smile on his face. Caitlin was wrong; she obviously didn't have feelings for him. He was an idiot. He was too late. And later that night, he called Laurel and asked her out. She said yes._

* * *

 **October 2009**

Felicity doesn't remember how it happened, but somehow she and Oliver have ended up in his bedroom. She is kissing him fiercely, his lips somehow soft but firm at the same time. Their kisses have gone from slow and sweet to intense with passion in their attempt to memorize each other's mouths, and she feels Oliver place a hand on the back of her head, fingers tangling through her hair as he walks them back towards his bed. He sucks Felicity's lower lip into his mouth, tugging at it softly before soothing it with his tongue. She tangles her tongue with his, licking at the roof of his mouth causing Oliver to tighten his fingers in her hair before pulling away and kissing along her jawline.

Felicity leans away and looks at his face, her eyes hooded and her chest heaving. "I don't… I don't want to move too fast… We shouldn't sleep together."

He nods his head, "Definitely not," he agrees. But then Oliver detangles his fingers from her golden locks, unclasping her necklace and throwing it somewhere on the floor of his room. His previous agreement is forgotten as he trails his hands down her sides to the hem of her t-shirt, detaching his mouth from her long enough to pull the shirt up and over her head.

Oliver's eyes can't help but stare at her heaving chest now clad in only a simple black bra. She smirks before reaching down and ridding him of his own shirt. Felicity pulls his mouth back to hers while guiding her hand towards his stomach until her fingers lightly brush against his abs, abs that she has spent many nights dreaming about. Many, many nights. His breath hitches slightly when she flattens her palm fully against his warm, rippling muscles.

He stops walking backwards when he feels something hit the backs of his knees, pulling Felicity with him as he falls onto the plush mattress of his bed. Felicity settles herself on his lap, thighs on either side of him as she straddles his hips. She trails wet kisses along his jaw, pushing at his chest until he lays completely flat against the bed. Sitting still, Oliver's thumbs lightly brushing along each of her hips. She splays her palms over his skin, her fingers flexing as she crosses over his perfectly tanned chest, making his dick twitch in his jeans. Oliver has never been this affected by a girl before, let alone by just her soft caresses over his naked chest. Moving her hands over his abs, he can feel himself quickly growing harder.

Grinding her hips down on his, she feels his erection press against her increasingly wet center through her jeans and Oliver leans up, connecting their lips once more, his tongue slipping between her lips to massage the roof of her mouth. He moves his hands from where they are cupping her jaw down her sides, grazing her breasts until they reach her waist and cause her to moan.

Felicity swivels her hips against his own, making him detach their lips. "Fel-i-ci-ty," he says through clenched teeth, each syllable like its own word. She gazes down at him and it's the sexiest yet cutest thing he has ever seen; an innocent smile plays on her lips and a twinge of excitement shines in her eyes. Oliver kisses along her jaw, fingers deftly unbuttoning her jeans and he slips one hand into her panties, groaning at how wet she is for him, his other thumb stroking across the inside of her left thigh.

Chancing a glance at her, his heart does a funny little flip in his chest at the sight before him. Felicity's eyes are closed, her brows slightly furrowed in that way she does when she's concentrating on something, usually when she's hacking. _Wow, I love this girl._

He keeps watching her as he runs his index finger along her slit, going slow enough to give her a chance to stop him if she wants to. But she doesn't, not even as his thumb circles her clit and he plunges two fingers inside her, causing her breath to hitch in her throat. She feels amazing and Oliver never wants to stop doing this; he could touch her for the rest of his life.

"You okay?" Oliver asks. Her eyes are screwed shut and her mouth hangs open slightly, lips swollen from his heated kisses. Her hair is a mess, tousled wildly around her shoulders and falling around her face and she is so beautiful, her cheeks pink, a blush spreading down her chest before disappearing underneath her bra.

Felicity nods, forehead moving to rest against his shoulder. "Yes," she manages. She rolls her hips against his, causing his fingers to deepen inside her wet heat as he quickens the circling of his thumb on her swollen clit. "Don't stop."

Oliver strokes his fingers until she's writhing on top of him, breathing heavily, and he has never been harder in his life. He lifts his hips up against hers as he simultaneously curls his fingers causing her breath to hitch and she circles her hips faster and harder. Making soft, encouraging noises, her eyes screw shut and she's shuddering, her muscles spasming and clenching around his fingers. Felicity presses her lips against his bare shoulder, her breath hot against his skin.

When she leans forward into his chest, she shifts in his lap, rocking against him. She scrapes her teeth along his pulse point and the tightness at the base of his spine explodes, his hips jerking erratically against hers. Warmth spreads across the front of his jeans like he's a damn twelve-year-old having his first sexual encounter in a classroom at a middle school dance and he groans, banding an arm around her waist and bringing her impossibly close to his heated skin, riding out his high.

They're both breathing heavily, clutching onto each other like their lives depend on it. "Wow, you're really good at that," Felicity mumbles into his neck causing Oliver to smile, "So much for taking things slowly."

Oliver shrugs, "Well technically, we didn't sleep together, just did… things. Really hot, amazing things that we'll definitely be doing again."

She laughs and pulls away slightly, squirming in his lap and causing him to gasp. Felicity pauses, glancing down at his now ruined pants and bites her lip, a strange sense of pride running through her veins. "Sorry about that," she says, though she's not really sorry at all.

Oliver feels his cheeks heat up, blushing slightly but unable to find it within himself to be truly embarrassed. "It's okay, at least we're in my room."

She laughs and climbs off his lap, moving towards his connected bathroom. "I'll be right back," she promises, picking up her discarded shirt and necklace along the way.

He nods and once the bathroom door softly shuts, he lets out a deep breath. _I cannot believe that just actually happened._ Smiling to himself, he shakes his head slightly and stands, walking towards his walk-in closet. He sheds his jeans, chucking them into his hamper before pulling on a pair of sweats and a plain t-shirt. When he returns to his room, Felicity is sitting on his bed fully clothed, golden hair up in a neat ponytail. She looks up when she hears his steps and a smile tugs at the corners of her lips.

"You okay?" he asks as he approaches her.

Standing, she steps closer to him and Oliver bands his arms around her waist to pull her body flush against his. Felicity looks up, eyelashes fluttering, a look of complete bliss on her face. "I'm perfect."

"Yeah, you are," he grins stupidly down at her.

She scrunches her nose at him, a small laugh bubbling from her throat, "Really? That's your line?"

He laughs, "It's not a line if it's true."

"Oh god," her forehead falls to his shoulder as she giggles uncontrollably, "You're such a sap, aren't you?"

"Only when it comes to you," he offers.

"Oh my god Oliver. You're ridiculous."

"Ridiculously in love with you." She lifts her head at that, all laughter gone as she sees the complete sincerity in his eyes.

Not feeling 100 percent ready to reciprocate the sentiment, Felicity rises onto her tiptoes to place a kiss on his lips, soft and sweet. "I should get home, but I'll call you?"

"I'll be waiting by the phone," he says with a wide smile spread across his face. She laughs and he places one more heated kiss on her lips before forcing himself to pull away. Felicity wriggles loose from the hold he has on her tiny waist and leaves his room, throwing a flirty smile over her shoulder. As she descends the grand staircase, she can't wipe the grin from her face, thinking that this could be the start of something magical.


	9. Chapter 9

**The story's title is from the song "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!. All of the chapter titles come from various songs by the same band.**

 **The link to the polyvore sets for each chapter can be found in my profile.**

 **Follow me on tumblr - my username is** ** _emily-betts_** _ **.**_

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any original characters that may be added in later. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to CW Television and DC Comics.**

* * *

 **Now I Carry You Forever with Me (Darling Please Believe Me That You're All I See)**

 _ **August 2008**_

 _Standing in front of her floor length mirror, Felicity was nervous, unable to stop rubbing her hands over the invisible wrinkles on her dress. She didn't know why she was so anxious; maybe because she knew that this was an important step in trying to get over Oliver and didn't want it to go badly. Also, it was because Tommy was one of her best friends, and she didn't want to make things weird._

 _A loud knock sounded throughout her house and she took a deep breath. Grabbing her cell phone, she made her way towards the door, smoothing out her hair before swinging it open. Tommy greeted her with a large grin on his face, dressed impeccably in a black button down and dark jeans combo._

 _"Hi. Wow, you look beautiful."_

 _"Thank you, you look great too," Felicity said, a nervous blush coloring her features._

 _Tommy reached out his arm to her and she placed her hand in the crook of his elbow._

 _"Shall we go?"_

 _"We shall," she laughed before following him to his car._

 _They went to the movie theater to see some random rom-com and Tommy, being both a gentleman and a billionaire, pulled out all the stops; obviously, he payed for everything. He "accidentally" brushed his fingers against hers when they both reached into the popcorn bucket, he casually stretched his arm around her shoulders, and he even entwined their fingers as they went for a walk through the park. It was the perfect first date except for one important detail: Tommy wasn't Oliver._

 _She didn't want to feel that way. Felicity was trying really hard to remain focused on the conversations they were having, but it was proving itself very difficult. It was especially difficult considering every single time she looked at her phone, she was bombarded with memories from the picture that was her background._

 _She remembers the day perfectly: it was last winter and she was at Oliver's house to watch the Super Bowl. The Patriots were playing against the Giants but Felicity honestly couldn't care less - she would take any excuse to spend time with Oliver. Anyway, the Patriots lost and Oliver was upset about it - which she thought was kind of funny considering how dramatic he was being, it was just a stupid game - so he ended up resting his forehead against her shoulder. For a second, she actually thought that he was crying and couldn't resist snapping a photo. Turns out he_ was _crying a little bit and has been begging her every day since to change her screensaver, but she refused._

 _Tommy's voice pulled her from the memory, telling her a story about something that happened on his birthday the other week, and she forced herself to listen. She liked Tommy, she did. He was ridiculously handsome, and charming and sweet, and it was clear that he liked her. And she was convinced that the more time spent together, the more her feelings would shift from Oliver to Tommy. So, when they pulled into her driveway and he walked her to the front door, she turned to him. She didn't fight it when he slowly started to lean in, and she didn't fight it when his lips softly brushed against hers. And when he asked her out again, she said yes._

* * *

 **November 2009**

It's been a couple days since Oliver had confessed his feelings to Felicity and they have been texting nonstop. Felicity has been afraid to see him in person because while she is happy with the shift in their relationship, she is also kind of scared as to what it might mean for their friendship and both of their friendships with Tommy. But she can't avoid him any longer because it's Monday and they have school together.

Felicity stands at her locker, gathering the books needed for her next few classes when she sees a flash of blonde hair approaching her.

"Hey Felicity," Sara says, wide smile stretched across her face.

Turning to the other girl, she offers a small smile, "Hi Sara. How are you?"

"Good, actually. I wanted to thank you for your advice a few weeks ago. Things are still pretty bad at home, but they're getting better. I was thinking, as a thank you, maybe we could hang out sometime? Like, go see a movie or something," she asks with slight nerves.

"Yeah, I would like that. And I'm glad things with Laurel are getting better, I knew they would."

"Great. How's this weekend? There's that new Ryan Gosling movie that I've been dying to see."

"Yeah, it's a date. I mean, not a _date_ date. Like, a _friend_ date. Cause I'm into dudes. And I mean, I guess you are too because you hooked up with Oliver. But I mean, I don't know you that well so I guess you could swing both ways. And I'm gonna stop talking in 3… 2… 1…"

Sara can't fight the laugh that bubbles from her lips, "You're cute. I'll text you with details. Bye Felicity." She waves her fingers back at her as she walks away towards her next class. Felicity laughs to herself before shutting her locker and walking towards her AP Biology class, looking forward to this weekend.

* * *

Oliver heads towards his convertible, backpack slung over his shoulder. He isn't paying attention as his fingers move to text Felicity, telling her to meet him by his car. When he suddenly feels someone bump against his chest, he reaches out his hands to steady the unknown person. Surprise spreads across his face at the sight of Laurel standing in front of him, his hands on her arms and an expression mirroring his own on her face. "Laurel, hey. Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," he manages, removing his hands from her.

"No, it's okay. I wasn't paying attention either. Sorry."

"It's cool. Uh, how are you?" They haven't spoken since she caught him with Sara and he can't help but feel awkward around her, especially considering the recent developments in his relationship with Felicity.

"I'm okay. How are you? How's your mom doing since… since what happened?" she asks and even though she still kind of hates him, she isn't heartless and a twinge of sympathy laces her voice.

"She's doing okay, I guess. Hasn't really left the house much, but she's dealing with it - we all are."

"Look, Ollie, I'm sorry that I didn't go to the funeral. I know that things are still rough between us but that's no excuse. I knew your father and I should have been there, but I let my personal feelings towards you get in the way of that. I'm sorry."

"Laurel, you have nothing to apologize for, but I do. I haven't had a chance to say that I am so sorry for what I did with Sara. I was upset and drunk, but that's not an excuse for hurting you. I care about you so much; I always will. And I understand if you can never forgive me, but you should forgive Sara. She's your sister and I should have stopped the flirting, but I only encouraged it because it made me feel good, I guess. It's my fault."

"I don't blame her, Ollie. She fell for your charm. How can I blame her for doing exactly what I did?"

Oliver dips his head, his lips spread into a thin line. "Yeah, well, I'm sorry. I just want you to know that."

"I do. And give my condolences to your mother and Thea."

"Thanks, I will." She nods her head at his response and steps around him towards the field for dance team practice.

Oliver sighs, continuing his route towards his car only to find Felicity already waiting for him, casually leaning against the passenger side. He can't fight the wide grin that spreads across his face upon seeing her. "Hey there," he walks towards her, throwing his bag into the backseat and leaning forward to plant a kiss on her lips. But before he can, she places her palms flat against his chest and pushes him away slightly, tilting her head to the side and nervously peering over his shoulder. His brows crinkle in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Let's just go to your house, okay?" Felicity climbs into the car and he walks around the front to get in the driver's seat, still confused as to why she is acting weird.

The car ride to the mansion is fairly quiet, just the dull hum of the radio playing in the background. After Oliver parks in the driveway, they make their way through the front door and up the stairs, the house silent since Thea is still at school and his mother spends all day locked in her bedroom.

Once they reach his room, Oliver toes off his shoes and places his backpack on his desk chair, turning to Felicity where she is already seated on his bed. "Okay, what's going on?"

His voice pulls her from her thoughts and she lifts her chin to meet his gaze, a forced smile on her face, "What? Nothing is going on."

"Then why didn't you kiss me earlier by my car? And you were silent the entire drive here which is like, unheard of for you. So… What's up?" Oliver sits next to her, feeling the mattress dip under his weight.

Felicity scrubs both hands over her face, "Ugh, I'm sorry. It's just that… Tommy and I only broke up a little over a week ago and when I told him that I had feelings for someone else, I obviously didn't tell him that it was his best friend. I really hurt him, and I don't want to be the thing that comes between your friendship. I know that he's important to you and you to him. I just feel bad, I guess."

Reaching up, he removes her hands from her face and tilts her chin to look at him, "Hey, Felicity… Tommy is my best friend. But if he can't accept us, that we have feelings for each other, then that's too bad. I love him, I do. But I'm not gonna give up my happiness for his. You are the most important person to me."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. Look, maybe we can just keep our relationship between us for a while until Tommy has moved on. Then we can tell him - together. Okay?"

"Yes. Thank you," she looks away, something clearly still bothering her as she chews on her bottom lip.

"Is there something else?"

"It's stupid. I just, last time we were in your room… _things_ happened -"

"- and I'm glad they did," he interrupts, a small smirk tugging up the corners of his mouth.

"So am I! Like _really_ glad. But things between us have changed so much in such a short amount of time and it's all just a little overwhelming. I think the other night, we got caught up in the heat of the moment. Oliver, I really care about you and I don't want to mess things up between us. So, I think that we should just slow things down a little."

Oliver opens and closes his mouth a couple times, fully processing what she said. "Oh. Uh, yeah. We can totally take things slow, if that's what you want. Whatever makes you comfortable, Felicity." He squeezes her hands and smiles at her, but it quickly falls as actual dread colors his features. "But we can still, like, make out and stuff, right?"

She laughs at his worried expression before leaning towards him, lips just barely brushing his. "You tell me," she whispers before crashing her mouth on his, immediately running her tongue along the seam of his lips seeking entrance. He reciprocates the kiss with just as much ferocity, arms banding around her waist to pull her closer to him. He moves his hands down to her ass, lifting her and situating her on his lap, her knees bracketing his hips.

They are lost in each other's mouths, Oliver's hands making their way underneath the hem of her tank top to caress the smooth skin there when he hears the soft thud of the front door opening and closing downstairs. He pulls away, breathing heavily. "That's probably Thea getting home from school. She'll be up here soon to tell me about her day, like she always does."

She chuckles while climbing off his lap, straightening her clothes. "You know, it's super cute how you are with her. You're a really good big brother."

"Yeah, you like that?" he stands with a small smirk on his face and walks towards her, placing his hands on her hips. He moves his lips to her neck, sucking softly on the pale skin there.

Felicity closes her eyes, lost in the feeling of his mouth on her, when she hears the telltale sign of tiny feet pattering up the stairs. Managing to push him away right before the door opens, she puts some distance between them and a small figure comes barreling into the room.

"Ollie! Guess what, guess what, guess what!" Thea screams happily, adorned in her school uniform. When she sees Felicity, her smile gets bigger, if that's even possible. "Lissy!"

She smiles down at the little girl that now has her lanky arms wrapped around her waist, "Hey there, Speedy."

"What did you want to tell me? Felicity and I need to get back to… _studying,"_ Oliver interrupts, waggling his eyebrows at Felicity at the word 'studying' because they both know that is definitely _not_ what they were doing.

"I was at school and my music teacher told me that I got picked for a solo at the winter concert! I'm gonna play my violin for everyone! You're gonna be in the front row, right Ollie? Lissy too!" Thea exclaims, literally bouncing with excitement.

"Thea, that's awesome! Of course we'll be there," the blonde responds with a smile.

He runs his fingers through the little girl's hair, "Yeah, of course. I'm so proud of you, Speedy."

"Thanks, Ollie. I'm gonna go tell Mom!" She quickly turns and dashes out of the room and down the hallway, the door falling shut behind her.

The two teenagers laugh at her obvious excitement. Felicity turns to Oliver, "Studying, huh?"

"Yes," Oliver takes a step towards her, "Very, _very_ important studying." He wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her down onto his bed which causes her to erupt in a series of giggles. It feels good - being happy. He could get used to this.


	10. Chapter 10

**The story's title is from the song "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!. All of the chapter titles come from various songs by the same band.**

 **The link to the polyvore sets for each chapter can be found in my profile.**

 **Follow me on tumblr - my username is** ** _emily-betts_** _ **.**_

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any original characters that may be added in later. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to CW Television and DC Comics.**

* * *

 **We Tried Our Best but It Wasn't Enough (And We Tried So Hard That We Fucked It Up)**

 _ **August 2008**_

 _It was a warm summer night and the restaurant was strangely quiet for the number of people that filled the quaint little establishment. Oliver pulled his collar away from his neck, feeling nervous and slightly suffocated. He was finally on a date with Laurel, who he'd been chasing for months, and all he could think about was his blonde best friend. Her silky blonde hair, her adorable glasses, her laugh that made her nose scrunch up. Every time he looked at Laurel, he just saw Felicity. And that made him feel like a complete jackass._

 _Laurel was great; she was beautiful and smart and driven, she knew exactly what she wanted in life. And he didn't. Oliver nodded along with what she said, agreed with her opinions even if he didn't_ really _agree with her. It just wasn't the same as it was with Felicity. And that freaked him out. The other week when he had his lapse in judgement and almost ruined their friendship by asking her out, he thought that it was just that: a lapse in judgement. Caitlin had come over, yelling and confusing his emotions, but when Felicity said that she agreed to go out with Tommy, he felt relieved. And a strange sense of jealousy and hurt that he didn't want to fully admit to. But he had pushed it aside and asked out Laurel, because that was how things were supposed to be._

 _Now that he was sitting across from her, he realized that he didn't want that to be the way it was supposed to be. All he wanted was to be curled up in his bed next to Felicity, watching the horror movies he knew she hated but sat through anyway because he loved them. He also knew that at this exact moment, Felicity was out on a date with Tommy, and that thought alone caused a deep pain within his chest that he couldn't explain._

 _Oliver paid the bill and held Laurel's hand as they walked to his car, knowing deep down that he shouldn't ask her out on a second date when he spent most of the time thinking about another girl. But as he walked around the front of the car after closing the passenger side door, he saw them. They were walking through the park, smiling and holding hands. Felicity looked so beautiful without even trying, her head thrown back in laughter at something that Tommy had probably said._

 _It was then that he realized that no matter what, Oliver wanted Felicity to be happy. And with Tommy, she looked happy, and he deserved to try and be happy too. So when he got to Laurel's house and walked her to her front door, he decided to kiss her. And when she kissed him back, it was nice, nicer than he expected it to be. Which was why he asked her out on a second date. And why she said yes._

* * *

 **November 2009**

It is nearly Thanksgiving and Oliver could not be happier, due to the amazing three weeks he and Felicity have been dating. He has never felt closer to her - and not just physically. They talk more, both unafraid of being completely honest and vulnerable with each other, and it's refreshing. It feels good, especially after the death of his father; he is finally starting to feel like himself again, the guilt lessening every single day. And don't even get him started on the physical benefits of this new relationship. Oliver is not just in this for the benefits - he _really_ loves Felicity - but he _is_ a guy, and she is sexy as hell. Even though she said that she wanted to take things slow, things have been anything but slow between them. And while they haven't had sex yet, Felicity is anything but a prude and can be surprisingly dirty; most of the time she is the one that initiates things to go further than just making out. And they have done _a_ _lot_ of things that make Oliver need a cold shower just thinking about.

With this time of year comes the annual soccer tournament between the high schools in Starling City that they have in preparation for the state championship. The Starling Prep Archers have made it to the finals, so Carter Bowen is throwing a celebratory party the night before the game that the team likes to call the "Who Cares If We Win, Let's Get Drunk" party - not the cleverest name, but it gets the point across. However, Oliver is confident that they are going to win the game and make it to state. And while the rest of the school usually gets wasted, he always forces the team to make a pact to not exceed three drinks each so that they can still play.

Well into his second drink, Oliver takes a sip when he finally sees the only girl he has eyes for: Felicity. She looks incredible, clad in a skin-tight dress that reaches about mid-thigh and patent red heels that manage to be not too high yet just high enough. Wow. One of the things he loves about Felicity is her ability to resemble the girl next door in jeans and a tank top, and then show up to a party looking like she does now. He sets down the red solo cup and makes his way towards her, a predatory glint in his eye. Stalking up behind her, he grabs her wrist and pulls her down a secluded hallway. She makes a startled noise but relaxes upon realizing that it's him.

He presses her against the nearest wall, his hips pinning her so she can't move. "Are you trying to kill me?" he growls.

Felicity throws him an innocent smile, but she can't hide the devilish spark in her eyes. "I don't know what you mean."

"No? The dress, the heels, the lipstick. Felicity, you're wearing my necklace. _And_ my bracelet. And you know that I have a thing for arrows," he adds, fingering the bar in her ear.

"Oliver, this is the night before the big game. You need to be on your best. Do you really think I would purposely try and distract you like that?"

"Fel-i-ci-ty,' he groans, his head falling heavily onto her shoulder.

She giggles and pushes him away gently, placing a light kiss on his lips. "Just imagine what I may - or may not - be wearing underneath this dress. Think of it as incentive to win tomorrow. Now, come on. Let's go before someone notices we're gone."

He groans again as she tugs him back towards the party. _This girl is going to be the death of me._

* * *

The party is getting a little crowded, so Felicity makes her way to the kitchen for a glass of water and some much-needed space. She grabs a bottled water and closes the refrigerator door, jumping when she turns and collides with an unexpected figure. "Oh my god! What is with people and sneaking up on me?" she exclaims, free hand flying to her chest.

The figure laughs, taking a seat on one of the barstools, "Sorry Lis, I didn't mean to scare you."

Catching her breath, Felicity places the bottle on the counter, feeling a weird tension settle over them. "It's okay, Tommy. Um… How are you?"

Tommy's smile softens as he gazes up at her from his seat, eyes a bit glassy, "I'm doing okay. You look beautiful tonight, Lis."

"Thank you," she ducks her head, a heated blush coloring her features. She tries to change the subject and alleviate the awkwardness surrounding them, "Are you excited for the game tomorrow?"

He sighs, "If I'm being honest, no. I am extremely nervous. I don't want to let the team, let alone the school, down."

Felicity looks up at her friend's tone, placing a reassuring hand on his forearm. "Hey, you're gonna do great. And even if you lose, that's not on you, and you certainly won't let anyone down. Especially me. Tommy, I'm so proud of you, no matter what."

Misconstruing the look in her eyes, he leans forward, placing a hand on her cheek. Too quickly for her to stop him, his lips brush against hers. She doesn't know what to do; she just freezes under his touch, eyes wide open. After a few seconds, Tommy realizes that she isn't kissing him back and detaches his lips from hers, opening his eyes. Putting some distance between them, his hands start fidgeting nervously. "Felicity, I'm sorry. I... misread things."

She clears her throat, trying to ease the tension from the air, "No Tommy, I'm sorry if I was sending you mixed signals."

"I understand that you need more time to think and I shouldn't have tried to rush you into anything."

"No, it's not that. I -" she cuts herself off, not wanting to hurt him.

Realization hits Tommy as his face contorts into a sullen expression of understanding. "You're uh… You're with that guy, aren't you?"

Felicity looks down not knowing what to say, thumb and forefingers gently rubbing together. _Dammit Oliver and your stupid contagious habits_ , she thinks to herself. "Tommy I… I never wanted to hurt you…"

"No, I get it," he waves her off, "I should've known. I mean, it's been a few weeks and you haven't come back to me so obviously, you chose him," he adds with a humorless laugh.

She tilts her head and sighs, "It's not like that. I didn't choose him over you."

"Except you did. But it's okay, Lis. I hope that you're happy," he says with a surprisingly genuine smile before exiting the kitchen.

Sighing, Felicity opens the water bottle, chugging down a few gulps. _This is gonna be a long night._

* * *

Even though he stayed out late last night, Oliver wakes up feeling energized, getting out of bed and taking a long, hot shower to soothe his tense muscles. After packing his jersey and cleats into his soccer bag, he gets dressed in sweats and a zip up hoodie before heading downstairs for breakfast - Raisa always makes the best breakfasts on his game days. Fully expecting to find Thea still in her pajamas, he is pleasantly surprised to find her fully dressed along with his mother. Moira hasn't left her bedroom in weeks, let alone been dressed and laughing.

Upon hearing his footsteps, Thea and Moira both turn to him with smiles on their faces. "Oliver, darling, you're up."

Confused by the sight in front of him, he responds skeptically, "Uh, yeah. I wanted to eat a good breakfast before heading to my pre-game practice."

"Ollie, Ollie! Guess what! Mom's gonna take me shopping before we go to your big game tonight!" Thea bounces in her seat at the kitchen table.

Oliver is unable to fight the grin that spreads across his face. "Really? You're uh, you're coming to the game?" he directs at his mother.

"Of course, Oliver. I wouldn't miss it." Seeing his mother smile fills a hole in Oliver's heart that he didn't realize was there. After his father's death, Moira had completely shut down, closing herself off from the world and her children. Thea had taken it the hardest, unable to understand her vibrant, loving mother's state of depression. The younger Queen had continuously tried to get Moira to open up, bringing her drawings and news from school just hoping to make her smile. He hadn't known how to explain to his little sister who was still so innocent that their mother was in a kind of pain that couldn't easily be fixed with just a painting of a unicorn.

"You have no idea how much that means to me," he utters a bit breathlessly but with complete sincerity, placing a kiss to his mother's cheek. Seeing Moira like this, smiling and laughing - happy - is the most amazing thing. He just hopes that it lasts.

* * *

They are coming into the second half of the game and the Archers are dominating 9 to 3. Oliver, Tommy and the rest of the team have been playing the best they ever have; the win is basically guaranteed at this point. Oliver is on his way back to the field from the locker room where he went to refill his water bottle when a small hand closes around his forearm, tugging him under the bleachers. He knows who it is even before he sees the blonde hair and feels the lips on his neck.

"You. Are. Playing. So. Good," she mutters into his skin in between kisses.

Oliver laughs, placing his hands around her waist, "Well how could I not with you in the audience, inspiring me?"

Felicity moves her face within inches of him, lips barely grazing his. "Seriously, Oliver. We're gonna win and it's all because of you. I am so proud of you."

"Thank you, Felicity. That honestly means everything to me," he smiles, gazing into her eyes, "I love you so much."

Felicity grins before kissing him fiercely. He pulls her closer, fingers digging into the soft flesh of her hips and his tongue licking along the seam of her lips. She opens her mouth to him, drinking him in hungrily. Neither of them are aware of the person around the corner witnessing the entire exchange.


	11. Chapter 11

**The story's title is from the song "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!. All of the chapter titles come from various songs by the same band.**

 **The link to the polyvore sets for each chapter can be found in my profile.**

 **Follow me on tumblr - my username is** ** _emily-betts_** _ **.**_

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any original characters that may be added in later. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to CW Television and DC Comics.**

* * *

 **Flee the Scene, We Scream Ceasefire (Look at What You've Done)**

 **November 2009**

"You. Are. Playing. So. Good," she mutters into his skin in between kisses.

Oliver laughs, placing his hands around her waist, "Well how could I not with you in the audience, inspiring me?"

Felicity moves her face within inches of him, lips barely grazing his. "Seriously, Oliver. We're gonna win and it's all because of you. I am so proud of you."

"Thank you, Felicity. That honestly means everything to me," he smiles, gazing into her eyes, "I love you so much."

She grins before kissing him fiercely. He pulls her closer, fingers digging into the soft flesh of her hips, his tongue licking along the seam of her lips. She opens her mouth to him, drinking him in hungrily. "Tommy," Felicity says suddenly against his mouth.

Oliver pulls away, face contorting with confusion and slight irritation. "No. _Ol-i-ver."_

She giggles and hits his chest lightly, "No, stupid. I saw Tommy, last night at the party. We talked and he sort of… He kissed me," she explains, voice getting quieter as she finishes.

Oliver's eyes shoot to hers from where they were previously fixated on her mouth. He feels jealousy coursing through his veins. "What?" he grits out.

"Don't worry, I didn't kiss him back. And I told him that I'm with you. He just doesn't know that it's you you. But he told me that he wants me to be happy and I think that he meant it. So, I think we should tell him about us. Tonight, at the bonfire. He was really nervous about the game so maybe after you guys win, he'll be in a really good mood and if we're lucky, a little drunk," she finishes with a small chuckle.

She peers up at him under long lashes, her bottom lip stuck out in a puppy-dog pout. Oliver sighs, "Well if it's you asking, I'll do it. We'll tell him tonight. Together, okay?"

"Together," she agrees against his lips. They hear a whistle blowing signifying the start of the second half and with a quick goodbye, Oliver heads back to the field. Felicity smiles, biting her lip before heading back to her seat next to the Queens and Caitlin on the bleachers to watch the rest of the game unfold.

* * *

Oliver feels the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he runs up and down the field. They're about halfway through the second half of the game and the Archers are still winning, but the team they're against is playing hard, not ready to lose. One of the players on the other team has the ball and is making a run towards the goal so Oliver charges him, quickly catching up and going for the ball. He makes a clean steal when suddenly somebody slides for the ball, hitting his ankle instead and sending him flying. Laying on the ground for a second, he blinks open his eyes to see the clear blue sky above him and quickly stands up, ready to yell at whoever just purposefully fouled him. He is surprised to see Tommy standing in front of him looking angry as hell and the referee blows his whistle, causing the other players to stop running, before starting to make his way over to the altercation.

"What the hell man? I'm on your team," Oliver says incredulously.

"Yeah, you're supposed to be," Tommy says, shoving his hands against Oliver's chest.

He pushes him back just as fiercely, "Dude, what is your problem?"

"My _problem?"_ Tommy laughs humorlessly, "My problem is that you're fucking my girlfriend!"

The other players exchange looks, interested in the fight going on between the two well-known best friends. "Tommy, I don't know what you're talking about," Oliver lies.

"Don't lie to my fucking face, Ollie. I saw you with her, behind the bleachers! How long have you been screwing Felicity behind my back, huh?" he growls, voice rising with every word as he shoves Oliver once more.

"You're broken up! And I'm not _screwing_ her, Tommy, I love her."

Tommy starts laughing, "You _love_ her? Are you kidding me right now? You're Oliver Queen, you don't do love. I've been your friend our entire lives, you don't think I know everything about you? You're just using her for sex! _Her_ I can understand - she's fallen under your spell just like every other girl in this goddamn school. But you, Ollie? My _best fucking friend?_ She broke up with me because she had feelings for another guy, and all along it was _you!_ And we all know you're just gonna screw her and then screw her over, just like you did to Laurel with Sara!" He pauses for breath, "How long?"

"Tommy, you don't know what the hell you are talking about," Oliver says with a clenched jaw, trying to hold in his growing anger.

"How long, Oliver?!" Tommy screamed, getting in his face.

He knows he shouldn't react to his best friend's cruel and insulting words, but Oliver can't help himself. He steps forward, a smug smirk on his lips. "How long have we been fucking? A couple weeks. She was in my bed the day she dumped you, and you know what she said? That I can make her scream in ways you never could."

Those were obviously the wrong words to say as Tommy sees red and pulls back his fist before throwing it forward as hard as he can, punching Oliver in the jaw and sending him to the ground. Oliver lands on his hands and knees, spitting out a little blood from his mouth before he leaps up and tackles him to the ground. The team reacts immediately, members going to each of the boys to try and pull them off each other as the referee frantically blows his whistle.

People from the crowd surge from the bleachers towards the field, if they haven't already, to see what is going on. Felicity frantically tries to shove her way through the crowd, Moira and Thea not far behind.

"Fuck you Oliver!" Tommy yells, fighting against the grip that Max and a few other others have on him.

Oliver laughs, also resisting the hold on him, "What, like Felicity did?"

Tommy lunges forward, only being held back by Coach Wilson, who has stepped up from the sidelines to assist the referee.

"Enough!" Coach Wilson screams, his Australian accent thicker than usual from his anger.

"This friendship is over. We're done, Oliver! Don't ever talk to me again!"

His expression fades from anger to sadness as he realizes what Tommy just said: he's losing his best friend. The referee holds up two red cards, signaling that both players are being thrown out of the game. The boys brush off the hold that is on each of them, Oliver spitting blood out of his mouth once more while Tommy wipes his bloody nose with the back of his hand.

With a shake of his head, Tommy turns to walk off the field, but not before stopping when he comes face to face with a teary-eyed Felicity, the blonde having made her way to the front of the crowd a few moments ago.

"Tommy," she starts, making to move towards him, but she decides against it and halts her steps.

"Don't, Lis. I'm not mad at you. All you ever were was honest with me and it's not your fault that you fell for Ollie's lies." Tommy throws one last glare at Oliver over his shoulder before pushing his way through the crowd and off the field.

Felicity takes a deep breath, glancing over her shoulder at him walking away before turning back to Oliver. He looks at her and takes a stride forward, his face full of apology and regret. "Nuh uh," she mutters, taking a step away from him. And he watches her walk away from him thinking that he may have just lost his two best friends.

* * *

Oliver wakes up the next morning with a headache and a bruise on his jaw reminding him of the night before, bringing on an intense amount of shame. His behavior and all the things he said were horrible. He let down his team by getting kicked out and suspended for three weeks, and even though the team still won the game, he lost his best friend and possibly the love of his life. Sighing, he gets up and heads downstairs in search of some pain killers to dull the ache. Almost reaching the stairs, he hears his name being called from behind him and turns to see his mother approaching him.

"Hey Mom. Where are you going?" he asks, taking in her attire.

"I was thinking of heading into the office today. It's time that I see how the company is doing."

Oliver can't help the smile that graces his face, happy that his mother is picking herself back up again. "That's great, Mom. I'm glad that you're doing better."

"Yes, I am doing better. You, on the other hand, are not." She places her palm on his cheek, turning his face so that she can inspect his jaw making Oliver wince. "Would you like to explain yourself?"

He sighs, "Me and Felicity… We've been dating. For a couple weeks, actually. And I didn't tell Tommy, and I'm pretty sure he thinks that I started seeing her behind his back but I didn't. They broke up. And he basically accused me of being a liar that's just using her like I apparently do to every girl in school, so…"

"And is that the case?"

"No! Mom, it's not like that at all. Felicity, she's… She's different. C'mon, you know how amazing she is. I'm in love with her and I have been for longer than I wanted to admit."

"Oh Oliver, I'm sorry. Things with Tommy will right themselves eventually."

"That's not what I'm worried about. Felicity seemed pretty mad at me yesterday and wouldn't answer any of my calls or texts. I said some pretty horrible things to Tommy in the heat of the moment and she heard them," he admits and ducks his head, racked with guilt.

"Oh, sweetie. Go talk to her. Everything will be okay."

"I don't know. I really messed up and we _just_ started dating. I don't wanna ruin this, Mom. I've never felt like this about anyone before. She's the one, I can feel it."

A smile spreads across Moira's face, "Go tell _her_ that."

* * *

Oliver nervously stands outside Felicity's house, reminiscent of the day after Labor Day when he came here to grovel. _I guess some things never change._ It is just getting dark, Oliver having decided to give her the day to cool off so she doesn't dump his sorry ass. Finally working up the nerve, he raps his hand against the door several times and waits, wiping his sweaty palms over his jeans.

Hearing shuffling come from inside, the light in the living room flickers on before the door swings open to reveal Felicity. She glares at him behind her glasses, head tilted, not saying a word. As he takes in her appearance, he can't stop the small smile from ticking up the corners of his mouth. "Is that my shirt?"

Her mouth opens as she looks down, fingering the hem of the grey t-shirt she is wearing that does indeed belong to Oliver. Looking up, she crosses her arms across her chest and tilts up her chin, "Maybe. What are you doing here? Did someone not hear you bragging that you 'fucked' me?"

Oliver sighs and takes a step towards the blonde. "Felicity, I am so sorry that I said all of that stuff. I let Tommy get in my head and I was a jackass. I didn't mean anything that I said, I was just being a stupid guy and I'm sorry. I may have just lost my oldest friend, but all I care about right now is you. Please."

"It's my own fault. I've always known who you are, Oliver. I never should have thought that you could change; I shouldn't have tried to change you," she sucks in a deep breath, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Felicity, please."

"Is that all I am to you? Just another notch in your bedpost? Because if that's the case, just tell me now, Oliver. Say that you've just been using me. Say that everything between us has been a lie. Say you never loved me. Say -"

"- Felicity," he interrupts, his voice so quiet he can barely even hear it. Oliver takes a step forward, grabbing both sides of her face and gently kissing her soft, pink lips. After a few seconds, he pulls away, keeping his eyes closed for a moment to try and freeze time. He stares into her eyes before speaking, lips still touching hers and voice just above a whisper. "Don't ask me to say that I don't love you."

Gazing up at him, she moves away and Oliver lets out a defeated sigh, turning around to make his way back to his car when her voice stops him. She reaches out a hand, "Oliver. Get in here."

Hope shines in his eyes as he grabs her hand and allows her to lead him inside. Noticing the quiet atmosphere, he asks, "Where's your mom?"

Turning, Felicity walks backwards to her bedroom, "She's working the night shift."

He gulps, noticing the darkening of her eyes as they reach her room and once they're inside, she pushes him so that he sits on the edge of her bed and places her hands on his shoulders. "Felicity -"

"- Shhh," she interrupts, silencing him with her lips. She puts pressure against his shoulders until he's lying flat on his back and climbs onto his lap, thighs bracketing his hips. Felicity reaches down to the hem of the t-shirt she is wearing, slowly dragging it up. After lifting it completely over her head, she tosses it to the floor and his eyes widen at the realization that she isn't wearing a bra underneath.

"Are… Are you sure?" Oliver manages, unable to take his eyes off her.

Felicity nods her head, leaning down to kiss him, placing her palms against his cheeks, "I'm sure."


	12. Chapter 12

**The story's title is from the song "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!. All of the chapter titles come from various songs by the same band.**

 **The link to the polyvore sets for each chapter can be found in my profile.**

 **Follow me on tumblr - my username is** ** _emily-betts_** _ **.**_

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any original characters that may be added in later. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to CW Television and DC Comics.**

* * *

 **Maybe You Should Think About the Hearts You Break (When You Waste Away)**

 **November 2009**

Hope shines in his eyes as Oliver grabs her hand and allows her to lead him inside. Noticing the quiet atmosphere, he asks, "Where's your mom?"

Turning, Felicity walks backwards to her bedroom, "She's working the night shift."

He gulps, noticing the darkening of her eyes as they reach her room and once they're inside, she pushes him so that he sits on the edge of her bed and places her hands on his shoulders. "Felicity -"

"- Shhh," she interrupts, silencing him with her lips. She puts pressure against his shoulders until he's lying flat on his back and climbs onto his lap, thighs bracketing his hips. Felicity reaches down to the hem of the t-shirt she is wearing, slowly dragging it up. After lifting it completely over her head, she tosses it to the floor and his eyes widen at the realization that she isn't wearing a bra underneath.

"Are… Are you sure?" Oliver manages, unable to take his eyes off her.

Felicity nods her head, leaning down to kiss him, placing her palms against his cheeks, "I'm sure." She kisses him fiercely, tongue battling against his. Her hands find the hem of his jeans and her fingers fiddle with the button as Oliver's hands run up and down the smooth expanse of her naked back, causing Felicity to moan into his mouth and arch her chest against him. Oliver groans as her lips move along his jaw and neck to suck on his pulse point, marking him as hers and god, it feels amazing. But this is wrong. It's not the right time or the right state of mind to be taking this next step in their relationship.

Oliver musters up all of his will power and braces his hands on Felicity's shoulders, pushing her away gently.

She peers down at him, lips swollen and brows furrowed, "What's wrong?"

"I don't think that we should do this," he explains, even though his body is telling him he's the biggest idiot on the planet.

Felicity backs away slightly, still sitting on his lap, and covers her chest with her arms. "You don't… You don't want to have sex with me?" she's unable to keep the hurt from her voice.

"No! I do, of _course_ I do. It's just… I am so ashamed that I said such horrible things about you, ashamed that I could even think them. And if we did this, I wouldn't feel right about it. I never want to lose you. Felicity, I love you. But I don't deserve you," Oliver says with conviction.

Staring at him for a few seconds, she climbs off his lap to retrieve her shirt from the floor. Once it's securely back on her body, she ducks her head, hands fidgeting in front of her. "I think you should go."

Oliver sits up, confused by her sudden change in demeanor. "What? Felicity…"

"You just made me realize something. Oliver, you just gave up the chance to sleep with me which probably means that you actually care about me. And the fact that you were bragging to basically _the entire school_ that you were not only dating me, but that you're _fucking_ me, all in an attempt to hurt your best friend, while claiming that you love me? I don't know if I can forgive that. You need to leave. I'm just... Everything has been happening so fast and now... I need some time to myself," she explains, voice eerily calm, but the tears clouding her eyes give away her true emotions.

Opening and closing his mouth several times, he stands up and makes his way past Felicity, throwing her a saddened look over his shoulder as he tries to keep his own unshed tears at bay before walking away from her.

* * *

As the extended weekend flew by, Tuesday quickly approached causing Felicity to feel a sense of dread at facing her peers in school. She is a little embarrassed to admit that she spent almost the entire weekend locked in her bedroom, crying and eating mint chip ice cream by the pint. Also, she hasn't spoken to Oliver. She has ignored his many, many calls and texts because she told him that she needed time, which he obviously doesn't understand the meaning of. Finally gathering enough courage, Felicity gets out of her car and makes her way towards the main doors of Starling City Prep.

Opening the doors, she steps inside and immediately it feels like all eyes are on her. People are whispering and staring at her, no doubt gossiping about the fight about her that tore apart two best friends. Trying to convince herself that it isn't as bad as her paranoid brain is making it out to be, she ducks her head and makes her way towards her locker, praying that she doesn't run into Oliver. Or Tommy. What she doesn't expect to find is Sara leaning against her locker, doing something on her phone. "Sara, hey."

Sara looks up, a sympathetic smile gracing her lips. "Well don't you look cute today."

She eyes her skeptically, "Thanks. What's up?"

"Well, you cancelled our plans this weekend and I wasn't really sure if we had a good enough relationship for me to stop by your house to check on you. But I've been worried. How are you?"

The shorter blonde sighs and opens her locker, "Honestly? Not good. I think Oliver and I broke up."

"Oh, Felicity," she places a reassuring hand on her forearm, "I am so sorry. Have you talked to him?"

"I really don't have anything to say to him right now. He said some really hurtful things about me to not only Tommy, but also to the entire school who are all staring at me as we speak," she looks around at the numerous onlookers throughout the hallway.

"Okay. It's decided. Tonight, you and me, sleepover. We have late start tomorrow because the freshmen have that testing stuff. So we're renting movies, eating junk food, and doing some girl bonding to get to know each other better. Okay?"

She smiles, shutting her locker, "Thanks Sara, that sounds like exactly what I need." Looping her arm with Felicity's at the elbow, she walks her to her first class of what is sure to be a long day.

* * *

It's almost fifth period and Oliver feels like shit; he screwed up big time and honestly doesn't know if he's ever going to be able to fix things. Felicity has been ignoring him since Saturday and he doesn't blame her; he's an ass. And to top it all off, people have been talking about the three of them all day and he is this close to just throwing punches.

Mr. Hunt is rambling at the front of the class and Oliver thanks god when the bell sounds, signifying his lunch period. Quickly grabbing his bag, he exits the classroom and makes his way to his locker, just rounding the corner when he hears his name being called from behind him. For just a second, he deludes himself into feeling a sliver of hope that it may be Felicity. But he knows that it isn't, he knows her voice and that wasn't it. Sighing, he turns, surprised to see the brunette walking towards him.

"Ollie, hey."

"Uh, Laurel… Hi," he greets, voice laced with confusion.

"I know that I'm probably the last person you expected to be talking to right now but I," Laurel takes a deep breath before peering up at him, brows furrowed slightly. "We never stood a chance, did we?"

Oliver opens and closes his mouth a couple times, unsure of how to respond to such a random and confusing statement.

Taking his silence as an opportunity, Laurel continues, "After the game on Friday, everything became so strikingly clear. I've been going over it in my head, trying to figure out what went wrong between us. And all I keep seeing is that moment at the gala when you saw them dancing together. It's Felicity. It's always been Felicity, before you even knew it."

He still doesn't know what to say because she's right. It has always been Felicity and it will always be Felicity. "Laurel, I don't know what you want me to say…"

"Nothing, Ollie. I don't want anything from you anymore," she offers a soft smile, "This was exactly the closure that I needed; realizing that it was nothing I said or did. It was just… inevitable. The way we ended was awful and hurtful, but it was bound to happen. We were never meant to be with each other; your heart was never even mine to have. So, I want you to know that I forgive you. And I sincerely hope that things between you and Felicity work out. Goodbye, Ollie."

Watching as Laurel walks away from him, he is stunned into silence, overwhelmed with both relief that she's forgiven him and happiness that they may have a chance to be friends in the future, because he truly does care about her. But she's right; he gave his heart away when he was eight years old to a little girl with glasses and a red crayon between her lips.

Suddenly, a male voice that he immediately recognizes as Principal Steele based on the British accent sounds over the intercom, breaking Oliver from his thoughts.

 _ **Oliver Queen and Thomas Merlyn, please report to the guidance offices. Oliver Queen and Thomas Merlyn to the guidance offices.**_

Sighing, Oliver alters his route and heads to the counselor's office, definitely not ready for the conversation he knows is coming.

* * *

Sitting in the waiting room of the guidance offices, he pulls the black beanie over his eyes and rests his head against the wall, arms folded across his chest. He sits up when he hears a scoff, eyes meeting Tommy's as the other boy settles on the opposite side of the room. They sit there in tension-filled silence for a solid five minutes before the secretary calls their names, telling them that they can go in the office now.

Walking in first, Oliver moves to the farthest chair and sits down, coming face to face with John Diggle, the school's counselor. He is a big guy with arms the size of literal tree trunks, having served in the army before receiving his doctorate in psychology. Unlike other teachers, he is a down to earth guy that wants to actually be friends with the kids he is trying to help, even going as far as to insist that everyone call him Digg.

Tommy settles in the chair beside him, silently sending glares his way. Oliver leans back in his chair, hands gripping the armrests while his leg bounces with nerves. Leaning back in his chair with a sigh, Digg looks between the two grim faced teenagers. He tilts his head at Oliver, "Man, take off that beanie. It's against school policy and you look like a hoodlum." The teen huffs a laugh, pulling off his hat and stuffing it into the front pocket of his backpack.

"So. You two know why you're here?" Digg inquires.

"To waste my time?" Oliver sasses with a small smirk, knowing Digg never finds his antics amusing.

"Cause Oliver is a jackass?" Tommy offers. Oliver throws a glare his way before turning back to face the large wooden desk in front of them.

"Well I don't know about that, Merlyn. But I do know that you two thought it'd be a good idea to throw punches at each other while on school property and with the principal literally fifty feet away," Diggle explains with an unimpressed look. "You wanna tell me why two best friends suddenly hate each other?"

"Why don't you ask him. Though he might be too busy stabbing me in the back to respond," Tommy spits out, a venom in his voice that is usually only reserved for his father.

He groans, rubbing his hands over his face and through his hair, settling to grip the hair at the back of his neck. "Dude, how many times do I have to tell you that I didn't stab you in the back? You guys were broken up."

"Because of you! We were broken up _because of you_ and you wasted no time jumping into bed with the girl I love!"

"I haven't even slept with her yet! You were attacking me and talking shit, and I wanted to hurt you, so I lied. We haven't slept together and now we probably never will, considering I'm pretty sure she broke up with me. So thanks for that."

Diggle sits back and watches them, deciding to let them hash things out. He'll intervene if things get out of hand again. _Stupid white boys, fighting over a girl,_ he thinks, scoffing quietly.

Laughing, Tommy shakes his head in amusement, "If Felicity dumped you already, that's not my fault. She probably just realized you're a shallow, arrogant, selfish dick and a liar."

"Tommy, I never wanted to hurt you!" Oliver turns to him, hands gesturing wildly, "You're my best friend and I love you. I tried for months to push away my feelings for her. I avoided her, and I threw myself into my relationship with Laurel until I couldn't push them away any more like I have been for years. You know me, Tommy. I wouldn't do anything until she had broken up with you and I didn't even know that she was going to do that. The first time I heard about it was when you told me at practice. I'm sorry that you got hurt, and I'm sorry that we kept it from you. We should've told you as soon as we got together, but we didn't. Because deep down, I knew this is how you would react and the thought of losing you physically hurts me. But I won't apologize for falling in love with her."

Tommy blinks at him, jaw clenched, "You're in love with her?"

He answers without hesitation, "Yes. But I never wanted my love for her to hurt you."

Silence settles over them for a few moments before Tommy turns towards Digg with a hard look, "Are we done here? I promise not to get into a fight again and I fully accept whatever consequences you see fit. Can I go now?"

The older man nods slightly and Tommy dashes from the room like he's on fire. Oliver sighs and stands up, slinging his bag over his shoulder before making his way towards the door. "Oliver, wait a second," Digg calls out.

Oliver turns to him with an expectant look, "Yeah?"

Leaning forward in his seat, he raises a brow, "You know, I think I'm just beginning to understand what kind of man you are."

"Shouldn't take you very long, Digg. I'm shallow, remember?" Oliver retorts, referencing Tommy's earlier words that cut deeper than he'd like to admit.

"A word of advice? Tommy will forgive you eventually, after some time to let his anger fade. But this girl - Felicity? You need to make things right with her before it's too late. A lot of things come and go in life, but true love? That's something that rarely ever comes around twice." He can't stop his eyes from drifting to the frame on his desk, a picture of his wife and baby girl nestled inside, "So, when it does come around, you should fight for it, and fight like hell," Digg gazes down at his desk and starts signing some papers. "Close the door on your way out," he concludes without looking up.

Oliver feels a small smile tug up the corners of his mouth before he shakes his head and leaves the office. _You should fight for it, and fight like hell._ And that's exactly what he is going to do.


	13. Chapter 13

**The story's title is from the song "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!. All of the chapter titles come from various songs by the same band.**

 **The link to the polyvore sets for each chapter can be found in my profile.**

 **Follow me on tumblr - my username is** ** _emily-betts_** _ **.**_

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any original characters that may be added in later. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to CW Television and DC Comics.**

* * *

 **I'll Be Here For You Love (You'll Always Have This Heart as Your Homeland)**

 **December 2009**

One month. It's been one month since Oliver has spoken to Felicity. After a few days of texting and calling her repeatedly, she responded with a short text saying that she needed time and to stop contacting her. So, that is exactly what he did, albeit very reluctantly. All he wants to do when he sees her beautiful smile at school every day is walk up to her and kiss her like there's no tomorrow. After being able to kiss her whenever he wanted for three weeks straight, it has been hard for him to go back to a purely platonic state between them. And they don't even have that considering she is still ignoring him.

Not only has Felicity been ignoring him, so has Tommy. His oldest friend hasn't been actively throwing glares his way anymore, but he still hasn't said a single word to him, let alone forgiven him. He lost his two best friends within the same week and it sucks. Being suspended from soccer until state also means that his weekends mainly consist of sitting on the couch in his sweatpants watching tv for hours on end. It's real riveting stuff.

Thea walks into the living room and settles on the couch next to Oliver, staring at his profile in silence. Oliver tries to ignore her constant look but he begins to feel uncomfortable, so he pauses the episode of _Impractical Jokers_ and turns to her. "What do you want, Speedy?" he sighs in exasperation.

She eyes him curiously, "Can I ask you something? I've been wanting to ask you for a really long time, but I don't want you to be mad at me."

"Just ask me," he orders, a bit impatiently. Ever since losing his best friends, Oliver finds himself more irritable, especially with the younger Queen which is just unfair to the little girl.

"What does the word 'fuck' mean?" Thea inquires innocently.

Oliver's eyes widen almost comically at her words, "Speedy! Don't say that!"

"Why not? You said it!" the girl retorts, fire in her voice.

"What? No, I didn't. Thea, that's a bad word and if Mom hears you saying it, you'll be in huge trouble, okay?"

"Yes you did say it! At your soccer game, Tommy punched you after you said that you did that to Felicity! What does it mean? Tell me!" she demands, poking him in the chest.

Groaning, he sucks in a deep breath, "Thea, it's a bad word that grown-ups use, okay? Why do you even want to know so bad?"

"Because you said it and Tommy got mad and now he and Lissy never come over anymore!" tears well up in the child's eyes as she asks in a quieter voice, "Why doesn't Lissy come play with me anymore? Is she mad at me?"

Oliver's features soften as he looks at the heartbroken expression on Thea's face. He sighs before placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Thea, Felicity is not mad at you. She's mad at me. Remember a while ago when you asked me if I love love her? The kissing kind of love? Well, I do. We were dating and I did something bad, and it really hurt her feelings. Tommy is mad at me too, okay? Believe me, you did nothing wrong. They both love you very much."

Thea sniffles, big eyes gazing up at her brother, "You promise?"

"I promise," Oliver says, wiping away a few stray tears from the girl's cheeks with the pads of his thumbs.

"What did you do?"

"What?" he asks, eyebrows furrowed.

"To make them mad; what did you do?"

He sighs, "It's complicated, Thea."

"Well I think that you should fix things. I miss them and you probably do too, right?"

"Yes, of course I miss them. I just don't know if I can fix this."

Thea gasps, excitement shining in her eyes as she bounces up and down, "Ollie, let me help you! I'm so smart, I can help you get Felicity back!"

Oliver huffs a laugh. Her ability to completely shift her mood at any given time still amazes him. "You know what, Speedy? I would love your help," he shuts off the tv and stands, "What do we do first?"

A wide smile spreads across Thea's face. "First I go get my sparkly pink paper and my gel pens! We need to make a list!" she calls as she turns and dashes up the stairs towards her bedroom.

Laughing at the little girl, Oliver suddenly regrets allowing her help.

* * *

This past month has been the hardest month of Felicity's life. Trying to take time to herself to think about things has not been easy considering it mainly involves avoiding Oliver. Not only does she miss the newest things she'd come to love about him - the way he laughs when she runs her fingers over that specific place along his sides; the way his hand fits perfectly within hers; the way his lips feel pressed against hers - but she also just misses their friendship. Whenever something happened in either of their lives, no matter how insignificant, they always told each other about it. Felicity misses that more than anything.

On the way to her car, she collides with a solid chest and her science notes fall, fluttering to the ground. "Oh my god, I am so sorry," she is quick to apologize.

She hears a throat clear, "Uh, it's okay. Totally my fault," a deep voice explains.

Immediately recognizing the voice, Felicity's head shoots up, her eyes meeting Oliver's. His gaze is intense and his warm palms are placed on the tops of her arms to steady her. _Wow, he wears that jacket well._ "Oh. Oliver. Hi," she looks away, crouching down and scrambling for her papers. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking."

Quick to help, Oliver kneels in front of her and gathers some papers. "It's my fault. I was on my phone." _Lie._ He saw her coming and pretended to be texting, because he is _that_ desperate to talk to her. They work silently, quickly picking up the papers before they both stand. "Here you go," he hands a small stack to her and his heart stutters when their fingers graze, still feeling that spark between them.

"Thanks," she mutters, accepting the papers and filing them away into the pouch of her notebook. Felicity clears her throat, unable to meet his eyes, "Um… How are you?"

"Uh, good. Good," he lies. She looks up at that, clearly sensing his tone as she tilts her head at him. She always sees right through him, ever since the first day they met. "Actually no, I'm not good. At all," he admits, "Felicity, I miss you."

"Oliver," she sighs, "I told you that I need time."

"Yeah, I know. But, Felicity, it's been a month and we haven't talked. At all. I've barely even seen you and it's killing me. I think that by now you know if you can ever forgive me, and you're avoiding me because the answer is no."

"Oliver, that's not true! I miss you too, okay? I think about you every day. I just… I just need more time to think about things before we can have a romantic relationship again…"

"Can we _ever_ have a romantic relationship again? Can we ever have a _friendship_ again? Because I don't just miss Felicity my girlfriend. I miss Felicity my _friend._ More than you know."

"I know. I just… I don't know how to go back to being just friends. I miss it too. I miss being your _girl."_ Her eyes widen in realization at what she just said and she starts to babble uncontrollably, "I mean, not your _girl_ girl. Your _girl._ I know it sounds like the same word, but it means something different in my head," she finishes lamely, staring down at her feet.

Oliver huffs a laugh before placing a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at him, "Felicity. You will always be my girl," he assures with a small grin. He removes his hand, his face falling slightly, "Even if it's not in the way that I want it to be."

Felicity smiles softly, peeing up at him under long lashes before tilting her chin to the side. "I, uh… I have to go."

"Yeah, yeah of course. I guess I'll see you around," he finishes, his voice sounding a little bit too hopeful than he'd like to admit.

She steps away from him, "Goodbye, Oliver."

Watching her walk away from him, hauntingly similar to the way she did at that game, he pulls out his phone and dials the all too familiar number.

 _"Hello?"_ a voice squeals on the other end.

"It's Ollie. We need to move up the plan. It's going down this weekend." He hangs up the phone, smiling to himself. Seeing Felicity and talking to her again just reminded Oliver how much he needs her in his life. This plan needs to work. He needs Felicity back, no matter what it takes.


	14. Chapter 14

**The story's title is from the song "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!. All of the chapter titles come from various songs by the same band.**

 **The link to the polyvore sets for each chapter can be found in my profile.**

 **Follow me on tumblr - my username is** ** _emily-betts_** _ **.**_

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any original characters that may be added in later. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to CW Television and DC Comics.**

* * *

 **We All Wanna Be Loved (So Don't Give Up)**

 **December 2009**

After talking to Felicity, Oliver realized that he needed to move up his timetable, so he called the diabolical mastermind behind this amazing plan: Thea Queen. For a girl that's just shy of nine years old, she is one evil genius. The girl managed to help develop the perfect plan with just the right amount of lying, trickery, and slight cheesiness to still be considered romantic. When Oliver had told the younger Queen that the plan needed to happen this weekend instead of in two weeks, she freaked out. And that would be putting it lightly. She yelled at him, saying that she couldn't work under these conditions. Then when she finally calmed down, she grabbed her sparkly paper and gel pens and went to work, writing down everything that needed to be done. Demanding to borrow his phone, she dialed numerous numbers to make all the necessary arrangements. Thea then proceeded to order around the staff like a mini tyrant while Oliver stood dumbstruck at what was going on. At one point, he even asked her what he could do to help and she screamed, "Shut up and let me do my thing, Ollie!". He did exactly as told out of fear for his life.

So now here he is on a Saturday night, adorned in dark jeans that he dressed up by pairing with a crisp white button down and his favorite suit jacket. According to Raisa, he looks very dapper. He sits on the couch, the house silent as both Thea and his mother are spending a few days up at their family's beach house, and he is patiently awaiting Thea's signal that the "dolphin is swimming" - yes, she made him sit through a thirty-minute lecture on codenames complete with poster boards and glitter. Oliver nervously wipes his sweaty palms along his thighs when his phone beeps, signaling a text message that he knows is from Thea, using their mom's phone.

 _ **From Mom:**_

 _ **Mama Bear and Beyoncé have reached their destination. Phase one is complete. The dolphin is swimming. Operation 'Make Lissy Realize Ollie Isn't a Total Idiot' is a go.**_

Oliver sighs and shakes his head with a small chuckle. _Why the hell did I let Thea come up with the names?_

* * *

Felicity is spending yet another weekend sitting at home, alone, eating a tub of mint chocolate chip ice cream when her phone plays a few notes of a random song, signaling a text that surprisingly says it's from Moira Queen.

 _ **From Mrs. Queen:**_

 _ **Lissy, I need you to do me a favor. No questions asked. It's important. More important than meeting One Direction! (YOU KNOW THAT THEY ARE MY FAVORITE!) I need you to get dressed in a fancy dress, like you're going to a really expensive dinner. Then I need you to go to my house. The front door will be unlocked. Please Lissy, you won't regret it.**_

 _ **Love, Your Bestest Friend, Speedy :)**_

Even though she realizes the text is from Thea, she is still confused and rereads it a couple of times. Maybe it's a surprise party? Both Christmas and Hanukkah are coming up. She hates mysteries - they need to be solved. Understanding the seriousness of this - Thea _really_ loves One Direction - she stands and makes her way towards her bedroom. Stepping into the closet, she picks out a beautiful red dress that's been sitting in the back ever since she bought it on an impulse and a cute pair of heels. She gets dressed quickly, applying some light makeup before heading out to her car.

Still majorly confused, Felicity can't help but feel a little excited; she is tired of spending every weekend sulking, she is looking forward to the adventure. Since running into Oliver earlier that week, she has felt even worse, something she didn't think was possible. The exchange made her realize that she'd already forgiven Oliver for the things he said because she knows that he didn't mean them. However, she has also realized that she's scared. Every person in her life has abandoned her at one point or another, starting with her father. She is terrified that if she lets herself love Oliver completely, all he will do is leave her in the end, and she doesn't think that she could ever recover from that.

Pulling into the Queen Mansion, Felicity notes the distinct lack of cars in the driveway. If this is some kind of party, Thea is really going all out in trying to keep it a secret. Shutting down the car and climbing out, Felicity makes her way to the front door and sure enough, it is indeed unlocked. Stepping through the doorway, she finds herself breathless as she takes in the sight in front of her. _What is going on?_

The foyer is littered with crimson rose petals, wistfully creating clouds on the hardwood floors. Blush pink candle holders are arranged in a path leading to the front table, void of its usual picture frames. She steps forward, still speechless, until she reaches the table. Lying there is a crisp white card, nine words scribbled in all too familiar handwriting. "I love the way you babble when you're nervous," Felicity reads aloud, ending with a small chuckle.

Raising her look, she notices that just ahead under the rose petals, there is a red arrow on the ground pointing forward. Seeing that both the rose petals and candles continue, Felicity follows the arrow into the hallway and just as she's about to round the corner, she sees another white card taped to the wall. Detaching it, she reads, "I love the way you love computers." _I do love my computers._

Felicity continues following the arrows, stumbling through the mansion and collecting each card.

 _I love the way your nose crinkles when you laugh._

 _I love the way your brows furrow when you concentrate._

 _I love that you don't make me feel stupid when you tutor me._

 _I love how you never fail to make me smile._

 _I love that you're the only one to never stop believing in me._

 _I love the fact that you saw me for me, when nobody else did._

 _I love how independent you are._

 _I love that you still blush whenever I give you a compliment._

 _I love that after almost 10 years of knowing each other, I learn something new about you every day._

 _I love that you never cease to amaze me._

 _I love that your beauty still takes my breath away._

By the time Felicity reaches the sliding door to the patio, her eyes are filled with unshed tears. She doesn't think that this can get any better until she opens the back door and takes a step onto the patio, following the final arrow. Every tree in the backyard is wrapped with twinkling white lights, illuminating the grass on an otherwise dark night. Her jaw drops slightly as she looks around, taking in the continued flowers creating a path towards the back of the gardens.

Felicity follows the petals that lead her to a single podium holding the final card.

 _I love the way you make me love you, without even trying._

She looks up and gasps audibly, tears finally leaking from the corners of her eyes as she takes in her surroundings. "What… What is this?"

"My apology." Oliver stands a few yards in front of her, hands stuffed in his pockets and looking incredibly handsome. Behind him is their swing set, tiny sparkly lights climbing around the old wooden posts. "Though technically, this was done with Thea's help. The girl's a genius," he shrugs, a small smile tugging up the corners of his mouth.

Felicity lifts her chin, still in shock as her eyes meet his. "You… You did all of this? Oliver, this is…," she trails off, unable to find the right words to express everything that she is feeling.

"I wanted to do something to show you how much you mean to me. And how sorry I am. Felicity," he closes the distance between them, grasping her hands in his, "I am so sorry for everything that I said. I didn't mean any of it. Even though being around you makes me better, I'll never be perfect. I still make mistakes, and letting Tommy get in my head and having to be a stupid guy that shows him up was one of them. I regret so many things between us, Felicity. All the chances I never took, the things I never said. You're so important to me. You've been there for me through everything. Whenever I was an idiot and said the wrong things; whenever I dated the wrong girls; when I screwed things up with Laurel; when my father died. You have always been the one constant thing in my life.

"But this last month without you… It has honestly been the worst month of my entire life. Not seeing your smile or hearing your laugh every day has been physically painful, Felicity. I know you said you needed time to think about if we could ever have a relationship again. But I know that we can. Because you and me? We're inevitable. I know it. I can feel it and I think I've felt it ever since the first moment I saw you. Felicity, I am so hopelessly, undeniably in love with you."

Felicity can't hold back the tears as they stream down her face. "Oliver, everything that you said about me… It really hurt. But I forgive you. And I don't regret a single moment between us. You shouldn't either. We've been through so much. You have affected so many people's lives for the better, including mine. Knowing you has changed my life. You've opened up my heart in a way I didn't even know was possible. I love you, too."

Eliminating what little distance remains between them, Oliver palms her flushed cheeks and collides his lips with hers. And there, underneath the never-ending light illuminating them, he knows this is it. This is real. And this is everything.


	15. Chapter 15

**The story's title is from the song "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!. All of the chapter titles come from various songs by the same band.**

 **The link to the polyvore sets for each chapter can be found in my profile.**

 **Follow me on tumblr - my username is** ** _emily-betts_** _ **.**_

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any original characters that may be added in later. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to CW Television and DC Comics.**

* * *

 **We're Done With the He Said She Said (We're Done With the Running)**

 **December 2009**

Somehow, amidst all the tangled tongues and exploring touches, Oliver and Felicity manage to make their way into the mansion and up to his bedroom. Stumbling through the threshold, Felicity pushes Oliver's back a bit aggressively against the door. He groans and grips her hips as she moves her lips to his neck. Her fingers find their way to his chest and curl around the lapels of his jacket, pushing it off his shoulders. Freeing his arms from the sleeves, she tosses the jacket to the floor before moving her hands to the front of his shirt, fingers deftly unbuttoning one by one. Oliver moves his hands from where they hold her hips up her back, finding the zipper of her dress as he begins to walk them towards his bed.

Tossing his shirt to the floor, Felicity sucks on his pulse point as her hands run from his shoulders down his chest and she pushes her hands lower until she can feel his bulge over the fabric of his jeans before she cups his length firmly. Oliver growls low in his throat before he reaches up to place a hand behind her neck and pulls her mouth back to his. He pushes the dress from her shoulders and sucks at her lips, alternating between top and bottom before licking along the seam. She quickly allows him entrance, tongue coming to dance with his.

Dress pooling at her feet, she steps out of it easily and kicks off her shoes in the process as she unbuttons Oliver's pants and pushes them down over his hips, he too toeing off his shoes. Just as they reach the mattress, Oliver turns them around, sitting down and pulling her onto his lap. She grips his bare shoulders to steady herself as she lifts her knees on the mattress, bracketing his thighs while keeping her lips fused to his. He bands his arms around her tiny waist, feeling over the expanse of skin on her lower back and making her squirm in his lap. Oliver pulls away slightly, breathing heavily, "Are you sure about this?"

Felicity feels a sense of deja vu as she nods her head except this time, she knows that this is the right thing to do, the only thing she wants to do. Biting her lip, she reaches her hands backwards to unclasp her bra before tossing it aside, emphasizing it with a roll of her hips causing Oliver to groan. He runs his hands up her back, tangling one in her hair and sucking her bottom lip into his mouth. She feels his fingers brush the underside of her breast before boldly cupping one in his palm and she arches into his touch, moaning into his mouth at the sensation.

Trailing a hand down his chest, her nails scratch lightly over his abs causing him to release a string of curses under his breath. She scoots back on his thighs, hand once again moving downward before delving underneath the thin material of his boxers and grabbing hold of his erection with a firm grip.

"Fuck… Fel-i-ci-ty," Oliver grits out as she starts pumping his shaft with quick, deliberate strokes, feeling her smile against his lips. He is throbbing in her hand and is seriously worried that if she keeps doing this, this whole experience will not last very long. Reluctantly, he grabs hold of her wrist, yanking her hand from his boxers and standing, her legs instantly wrapping around his waist as he turns them around to lay her back onto his bed. He looks down at Felicity to see a light blush spreading down her neck and over her perfectly rounded breasts in both surprise and arousal, and he leans forward, wrapping his lips around one of her hardened nipples.

He laves his tongue over the bud while massaging her left breast with his other hand before alternating, causing a continuous stream of soft moans to leave Felicity's lips. She runs her fingers through his hair, gripping the ends and pressing his face closer to her chest. Once satisfied with each breast's treatment, Oliver raises his look, his face flushed and his eyes completely rid of any blue, before bringing his lips to Felicity's jaw and trailing soft kisses down the side of her neck. He starts rocking his hips where he is settled between her thighs, rubbing his erection over her already wet center. Through the thin materials of both her panties and his boxers, Felicity can feel the entire outline of Oliver's length and he groans against her neck, already wondering how good it'll feel to be inside her when just touching her does things to him. He continues his route down her neck, dropping a sloppy kiss to the valley of her breast before trailing his lips down her stomach. Reaching her hips, he hooks his thumbs into the rim of her completely drenched panties, slowly pulling them down her legs before tossing them haphazardly aside and Oliver has to press the heel of his hand to his dick to keep from coming right then at the sight of her spread out before him.

He sits back on the bed to quickly rid himself of his boxers, his cock springing free, and Felicity sits up on her elbows, a slight smirk tugging at her lips. Oliver looks directly into her eyes as he wraps his hand around the base, pumping lazily a couple times before leaning back over her until she is lying flat on the mattress again. The head of his cock bumps against her swollen clit making her hips jump off the mattress. "Oliver," she keens, her voice coming out desperate and needy but she is too turned on to even care.

He drops his lips to the column of her throat, kissing up until he reaches her ear, lips brushing across the shell. "Felicity," he whispers huskily, "Tell me what you want."

Gripping his shoulder blades, her nails dig slightly into his skin, "You, Oliver. I just want you. Always," she promises breathlessly.

Satisfied with her answer, he reaches for the top drawer of his night stand, wrenching it open and quickly locating a foil packet. He brings it to his mouth and rips the casing with his teeth, eyes never leaving Felicity's, then slowly rolls the rubber over his length. Felicity opens her legs wider, smiling up at him in anticipation, complete and utter love shining through her eyes. She runs a palm over his smooth jaw, "Hey," she whispers. "I love you."

Feeling a goofy grin spread across his lips, he stares down at her in admiration at how truly beautiful she is. "I love you too." He lines himself up with her entrance, connecting their lips once more as he slowly pushes inside her wet heat. Oliver is unable to contain the low guttural moan he releases against her mouth when he feels her tight walls surrounding him. He pulls away slightly so that he can observe her face, taking in her tightly closed eyes and her swollen pink lips that part ever so slightly as he pushes in the last few inches until he is buried to the hilt. Felicity holds her breath as she feels Oliver fill her, arching her back as the thick shaft of his cock stretches her in the most delicious way. "Are you okay?" he stays unmoving for a few seconds, letting her adjust to the feel of him. She wraps her legs securely around his waist, nodding her head quickly and rolling her hips up to inform him she is ready.

Oliver starts off with slow, shallow thrusts. She gasps and tilts her head back against the pillow, banding her arms underneath his to clutch up at his shoulder blades. Leaning up until they're chest to chest so she can connect their mouths once more, she tugs lightly on his bottom lip with her teeth. "God, you feel so good," he says against her mouth, their breaths mingling as he drives into her faster and harder causing Felicity to tighten her hold around his waist, heels digging into the bottom of his ass in an attempt to take in more of him.

She rocks her hips, meeting his thrusts, the slapping of their slick skin and breathless moans the only sounds filling the room. Oliver detangles her arms from his shoulders, grabbing her hands and entwining their fingers on either side of her head as he digs his knees into the mattress, allowing him to settle impossibly deep inside her. His new position allows the tip of his cock to brush against her g-spot and she screams, arching her back off the mattress and pushing her breasts into his chest.

The tension that has been steadily building low in Felicity's stomach tightens, her body beginning to shudder as she mutters her encouragements. She tightens her hold on his hands, squeezing her legs and bringing him closer. "Ol - Oli - Oliver!" she screams, her inner walls starting to clench around him.

Cursing under his breath, Oliver drives into her even harder, giving her every inch of himself as he guides them both to release. He detaches one of his hands from hers to trail down her stomach, finding her clit and rubbing tight, fast circles around the hardened nub. Felicity's soft cries grow louder from the added sensation as he pounds into her and with two more deep thrusts she comes with a loud scream, the hand holding his squeezing harder and her free arm clutching at his shoulders, nails digging into his skin.

Oliver watches in fascination as pure bliss washes over Felicity's face. He quickens his pace, dragging out her orgasm for as long as he can while chasing his own. He continues rubbing circles over her swollen clit, flicking it and causing an intense aftershock to overtake her and Oliver's gone. He buries his face in the crook of her neck, biting down hard just above her collarbone as he shudders inside her, coming with a shout of her name.

He licks at her neck, soothing the bite with his tongue as Felicity strokes her hand slowly up and down his muscular back, both trying to catch their breaths, their hearts beating rapidly against each other's chests. They lay in silence for a few minutes before Oliver rolls off her, a disappointed sigh leaving her lips as he pulls out of her center. He brings their entwined hands to his lips, placing a kiss to the back of her hand before muttering against her skin, "I'll be right back." He drops her hand and climbs off the bed, making his way to his bathroom to dispose of the condom and clean himself off. He grabs a warm washcloth and returns to the bed, gently wiping between her legs before chucking the towel across the room and into his hamper.

Lifting the covers, he climbs under where Felicity has already settled, her eyes closed and a satisfied smile on her face. He lays on his side facing her, a grin tugging up the corners of his mouth as he brushes a loose strand of hair away from her face and behind her ear. "You okay?"

She opens her eyes, tilting her head to look at him with so much love, "Yes. I'm perfect, I'm with you."

Oliver smiles, lightly lifting her chin before leaning forward and placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Come on, let's get some sleep. I don't know about you, but I am thoroughly exhausted."

Felicity laughs at that as they shift on the bed, Oliver wrapping his arms around her waist as she rests her head on his chest. "Yeah, sleeping in your arms sounds pretty nice."

* * *

Oliver wakes up to the loud ringing of his phone coming from his nightstand. Reluctantly he opens his eyes, twisting to reach his phone without waking up the sleeping blonde in his arms. Lifting Felicity's arm from where it's wrapped around his waist, he climbs out of the bed, finding and putting on his discarded boxers before grabbing his phone and walking into the hallway. Without looking at the caller ID, he answers, "Hello?"

 _"Ollie!"_ Thea's shrill voice echoes through the speaker causing Oliver to wince, pulling the phone away from his ear.

"Speedy. Inside voices," he scolds.

 _"But I'm not inside, I'm on the beach with Mom! Did you just wake up? When did Felicity go home? Did the plan work? Did it? Did it?!"_

He sighs at her bombardment of questions. "Yes, it worked."

Thea gasps and he can actually picture her jumping up and down, _"YAY! ARE YOU BACK TOGETHER? I'M GONNA HAVE A SISTER!"_

"Speedy, calm down. Yes, we are back together. I couldn't have done it without you. You are one evil genius, so thank you."

 _"Ollie, this is the best thing to ever happen to me! I'm gonna go tell Mom and then we're gonna come home right away!"_ With that she hangs up and Oliver laughs, shaking his head before returning to his room.

Felicity is sitting cross-legged on his bed in just his white button up from the night before, fiddling with her fingers in her lap and he has never seen anything more beautiful in his life. She looks up at the sound of the door opening, immediately pouting at him. "I woke up and you were gone."

He walks towards her, a goofy grin on his face, "I had to take a call. It was Thea; you know how crazy she can be. She just would have kept calling."

"Oh, I do," she rises to her knees and reaches out for him, wrapping her arms around his neck as he places his hands on her hips. "But I don't like waking up without you next to me."

Leaning forward, he connects their lips before muttering, "It will never happen again if I have anything to do with it."

Felicity hums against his lips as he deepens the kiss, tongue eagerly delving into her mouth. After a few minutes of just kissing each other soundly, she pulls away. "As much as I am enjoying this, I should head home. My mom might be worried about me. Actually, probably not, but I should head home anyway because I have homework and stuff I need to do," she babbles, Oliver smiling down at her.

"C'mon, you can stay a little longer. Maybe we can have a repeat of last night?" He moves his lips to her neck, hands finding their way under the hem of her shirt and gripping her ass, tugging her against him.

"As much," she stutters, "As much as I would love that, I think I might actually be sore for a little while."

Oliver immediately pulls away, a crease forming between his brows as he looks down at her in concern, "Are you okay? Was I too rough last night? Because you should tell me, I don't want to hurt you Felicity."

"No, no, no," she assures, a small smile forming on her lips. "You were perfect, Oliver. I mean it. It's just… I haven't exactly done… _that_ in a while…," she explains, ducking her chin as a light blush colors her cheeks.

"Done what? Sex? How long is 'a while' exactly?"

"Well, at least since we started dating a few months ago and a little while before that."

"Wait, what about Tommy?"

Felicity winces at that, peering up at him. "Do you really want to ask me when was the last time I had sex with your best friend?"

Face contorting in disgust, a bit of jealousy runs through him, "Ew. No. Frankly, that makes me want to punch another hole in my wall."

"That's what I thought," she chuckles before her face grows serious, "Wait, another?" She searches around his room, indeed spotting a hole near the far-left corner that she had somehow missed before.

He shrugs at her sheepishly, "Yeah. I kinda punched the wall the night you broke up with me."

"Oh, Oliver," she moves her hand, lightly stroking his cheek, "I'm sorry that I put you through that. Staying away from you was the hardest thing I've ever had to do and I promise that I'll never do it again. I love you." She leans forward, pressing her lips to his in a tender kiss.

"I deserved it," he confirms before giving her a small smile, "I love you too. Always."

* * *

The next morning, having decided against hiding their relationship this time around, Oliver and Felicity walk into Starling Prep hand in hand smiling and laughing, ignoring the lingering stares and whispers from their peers.

Oliver gazes down at Felicity, eyes full of admiration as she tells him about something that happened yesterday, hands gesturing wildly. "So I was really bored after I went home and finished my homework, so I decided to go on my computer and do a little hacki - _exploring_ \- online and this other hack - _curious_ _computer user_ \- was trying to kick me out of the system, and I totally destroyed them! It was awesome."

Laughing at her enthusiasm as she continues to brag, he notices that her voice has drifted off and her facial expression has turned nervous, teeth tugging on her bottom lip. He follows her look, finding Tommy shifting awkwardly in front of them.

"Tommy, hey," Oliver starts, clearing his throat and trying to ease the tension between them all.

Tommy looks at their entwined hands before bringing his look back up to meet his former best friend's with a raised eyebrow. "So you guys are back together?"

"Yup," Oliver responds shortly, straightening his stance and clenching his jaw at the dark-haired boy in a sort of face off.

Felicity takes in a deep breath, looking between the two and feeling the testosterone floating through the atmosphere before fixing her gaze on Tommy. "Uh, are we still on for tonight? That calculus project?"

Oliver whips his head abruptly, looking at the blonde in confusion. He didn't know that she is working on a project with her ex-boyfriend, and he can't help the sudden rush of jealousy that courses through his veins.

Turning his look towards her, Tommy sighs, "No, actually. I forgot that I already have plans. Is Thursday okay?"

A reassuring smile forms on her lips, "Thursday is perfect. We can do it at my house." Her eyes widen as she feels a babble coming on, "And by 'it', I mean work! On our project. Not doing anything else that can often be referred to as 'it'. Because we don't do that anymore. I mean, not that it wasn't great - it was! But we're no longer together. And I'm with Oliver now, and that's great too. The relationship! Not anything else! Feel free to stop me at any moment because this is just beyond horrib -"

"- Fel-i-ci-ty. Breathe," Oliver squeezes her hand. She smiles softly at him and his eyes meet hers, immediately relaxing her as she takes a calming breath, cheeks still flushed in embarrassment.

Tommy looks away from them quickly, feeling like he's intruding on an intimate moment between his one-time best friends. He clears his throat, pulling them out of their own little world as they focus their gazes back on him. Clenching his jaw, his eyes shift between the two before settling on Oliver. "I uh… I hope you guys are happy together." He gives an almost imperceptible nod to the taller boy before walking past the couple and continuing to his class.

Felicity lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, "Oh my god, that was so awkward. How'd I do? Was I really that bad?"

"Not gonna lie, you could've been better." Oliver laughs at her as she groans, covering her face with her hands. "Hey, it's okay. Besides, I think that that was the closest we'll ever get to getting Tommy's blessing."

"Yeah, I guess. I just wish things weren't so weird between us all. I really miss him and I know that you do too."

He shifts his stance nervously, looking down. "Yeah. Uh, you never told me that you're working with him on a project. That must be weird," he says, trying to seem casual and totally not jealous.

Seeing through his bullshit, she fixes him with a raised brow, "Oliver, we chose our partners for the semester project at the beginning of the year. We're just working together. Nothing more. I obviously don't feel that way about him anymore."

He sighs, reaching out and grasping her hands in his, "I know. In my heart, I know that. But I just can't help but think that you'd be better off with him. Tommy would never hurt you like I know that I did. He's probably better for you; the safer choice."

Felicity takes a step towards him, a smile tugging at her lips as she gazes up at him under long lashes. "Oliver, I don't wanna be _safe._ I wanna be with you." She leans up on her toes, placing a soft kiss on his lips.

Pulling away, he grins down at her, "Good. Cause you're stuck with me."


	16. Chapter 16

**The story's title is from the song "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!. All of the chapter titles come from various songs by the same band.**

 **The link to the polyvore sets for each chapter can be found in my profile.**

 **Follow me on tumblr - my username is** ** _emily-betts_** _ **.**_

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any original characters that may be added in later. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to CW Television and DC Comics.**

* * *

 **You Can See Right Through It (Like You Saw Through Me)**

 **January 2010**

Oliver wakes up to the sound of knocking coming from downstairs. Thea and his mother must still be sleeping and the house's staff has the day off because it's New Year's Day. While usually every year Oliver spends New Year's Eve out drinking at some party with Tommy, this year was different and it was the most fun Oliver has had in years. He spent the whole night in his pajamas, eating junk food and watching old movies with his family. Since New Year's is one of the busiest nights all year, Felicity's mom had to work so she came over and spent the night chatting with Moira and giggling with Thea, finishing the night with a midnight kiss at the end of the countdown with the person she loves.

Wiping the sleep from his eyes, Oliver swings his legs over the side of his bed. He groans at the persistent knocking, throwing on a sweatshirt and heading out of his room and down the stairs. He swings open the door, mouth falling open slightly at the unexpected person standing on his porch. "Tommy. What, uh… What are you doing here?" Oliver asks, unable to keep the surprise from his voice.

Tommy shifts back and forth on his feet, clearly feeling out of place and he takes a deep breath. "Look, Oliver… It took a lot for me to come here because I'm still pissed at you for lying to me. And I have spent the last few months trying to hate you. Like, really, really trying. But I can't, man. You're my best friend and last night, not hanging out with you like we always do on New Year's… It sucked, and it made me realize how much I miss you. Ollie, I'm sorry. For everything. Starting that fight, all the horrible shit I said to you… I was just shocked and hurt that you both lied to me, but I was also just hurt because… She chose you. Felicity chose _you._ But seeing you guys together, the way she looks at you… I get it now that she didn't _choose_ you. It was just… She never looked at me like that, man. You guys both deserve to be happy and if it's with each other, then I'm all for it. You two are the most important people to me and I don't want to graduate in June without my partner in crime by my side. So, what do you say? Friends again?"

Staring at him, Oliver's mouth hangs open in shock. Feeling a slight prick behind his eyes, he blinks rapidly to stop the wetness from falling down his face. He finally snaps back to reality, closing his mouth and clearing his throat before nodding, "Uh, yeah, man. Friends again."

Tommy smiles widely, pushing his way past the taller man and into the house. When he reaches the stairs, he turns back to Oliver, who's still standing in the open doorway. "C'mon, dude. Halo isn't gonna play itself."

He watches his once again best friend's retreating form before finally closing the front door and making his way up towards his room, not even fighting the goofy grin that spreads across his lips. 2010 is already off to a pretty good start.

* * *

 **February 2010**

Standing in front of her full-length mirror, Felicity runs her palms over the front of her soft, royal blue dress her mom had given her with a critical eye. It's Friday and tomorrow is Valentine's Day, meaning that tonight is Starling Prep's annual "Lovers Dance" - _which is a terrible name. "Lover"... Sounds creepy no matter how you say it._ This also means that tonight is the biggest party of the year. Every year, Helena Bertinelli throws a party on the same night as the dance; she likes to think this makes her "rebellious". Her dad is some kind of businessman - everyone at school thinks he's a drug dealer, but that's beside the point - and he gives her his credit card before leaving town for the weekend.

And every year, Felicity attends the party because she has never been a fan of Valentine's Day. Even when she was with Tommy, she'd thought it was kind of stupid; people should treat their significant others like that every day, not just one out of the year. But since her relationship with Oliver has progressed, everything has changed for her. It may sound cliché, but everything is better; the sky is bluer, the sun is brighter, life is just… better. Things between them over the last couple months have been amazing. They have been spending most of their time together exploring each other emotionally, mentally and her favorite part, physically. There is no arguing that Oliver is a very attractive young man but seeing his body, tan and toned and naked and knowing that it's all hers, is the best feeling ever. And he is amazing in bed. _Amazing._

Hearing the doorbell ring, Felicity grabs her phone and heads towards the front door, turning off the lights in the house on the way as her mother is once again working late tonight. She swings open the door, eyes immediately landing on the familiar blonde that is her date for the evening.

"Damn, you look hot!" Sara lets out a low whistle.

Felicity blushes and smiles nervously, looking down and once again dragging her hands across the fabric tight against her stomach, "Really? You don't think it's too much? Too revealing?"

Sara raises her eyebrows, "Too much? No way. You look incredible. Oliver is gonna love it."

She chuckles and steps onto the porch, closing and locking the door behind her. "Thanks. You look amazing too. I love your jacket, I'll have to borrow it sometime."

"Yes! I've always wanted a girlfriend that I can share clothes with! Laurel always gets mad and tells me to stay out of her closet. Plus, she has bigger boobs than me so her shirts don't always fit," Sara laughs as they make their way to her car.

"Well, mi closet es su closet," Felicity ducks into the passenger seat. "Hey, is it cool if we swing by Caitlin's house? She's supposed to be meeting up with that new guy - Ronnie, I think - at the party and she's kind of nervous about it."

"Yeah, that's cool. Let's go," Sara smiles, shifting the car into drive and speeding away through the Glades.

* * *

After picking up Caitlin, the girls quickly make their way to Helena's, the party already in full swing, driveway littered with cars and scattered bodies. Once inside, Caitlin quickly finds Ronnie, introducing the girls before grabbing his arm and pulling him into the abyss of drunken teens. The two blondes move through the crowd when Sara's hand shoots out, closing around Felicity's wrist.

"Wait! Okay, so I haven't told you yet but there's a new person that I met, and we've been talking and I really like them and they're on their way over here so be cool," Sara rushes out in one breath.

Felicity furrows her eyebrows at the girl before searching around the room for any guys approaching them, but she comes up empty. She faces forward again, eyebrows rising in surprise as she sees a tall, beautiful, ethnic girl standing before her. Looking between the other girls, Felicity notes Sara's nervousness as she mentally connects the dots. A smirk stretching across her face, she sticks out her hand towards the unknown girl. "Hi, I'm Felicity Smoak."

The girl takes her hand with a small smile, eyes shining as she looks between the two blondes. "It is nice to finally meet you, Felicity. I'm Nyssa Raatko. Sara has told me a lot about you."

"Yeah? All good things, I hope."

"Of course. She speaks very highly of you."

Turning to Sara, her eyes dance with mirth as Sara takes in a deep breath, "Well, I'm glad you two have finally met and this is really, _really_ fun and all, but I think we're gonna go get drinks," she emphasizes, placing her hand in Nyssa's. "We'll catch up with you later, Lis! Have fun!"

Felicity laughs, happiness bubbling through her as she sees her friend walking away with a huge grin on her face.

Looking around, red solo cup securely in her right hand, Felicity's eyes search the room for the familiar figure that she has yet to find. Sighing, she is just about to pull out her phone to send a text when two large arms band around her waist, a solid chest pushing against her back as she feels hot breath coasting across her neck. She smiles, leaning back into the warm body surrounding her.

"I have been looking everywhere for you. You look gorgeous, by the way," Oliver mutters into the skin at the junction of her neck and shoulder.

Felicity turns around in his arms, her own circling around his neck and she gazes up at him. "Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself." She leans up, crashing her lips to his. Her tongue immediately licks along the seam of his lips as she presses her body up against his, his palms caressing the exposed skin on her lower back.

Finally remembering that they're in public, Felicity pulls away, breathing heavier than usual as a light blush rapidly spreads across her skin.

Oliver smirks down at her, "Felicity, I know that I'm irresistible but please, control yourself in public," he teases.

She playfully smacks his chest, a laugh bubbling from her lips. "You're ridiculous, you know that?"

"You love it."

"Sadly, I do," she sighs.

"Well, well, well," a female voice interrupts, pulling the couple from their trance, "If it isn't Starling Prep's hottest new couple."

Groaning, Oliver turns around, keeping one arm securely around Felicity's waist and plastering on his best fake smile, "Helena. Awesome party."

"Thanks Ollie," she smirks, a seductive twinge to her voice as she places her palm on her ex-boyfriend's forearm. Felicity squints at her hand on his arm. _It's like she doesn't realize that I'm standing right here!_ Helena has hated Felicity ever since Oliver dumped her at the beginning of high school. She's never gotten over the fact that he essentially chose Felicity over herself, and she doesn't even try to hide her disdain.

"Yeah, definitely your best party yet. So fun," Felicity compliments with a fake smile, her slight step closer into Oliver's side not going unnoticed by the brunette.

Helena's smile morphs into a more sinister grin as she stares at Felicity, "Well how about we make it more interesting." She ignores the pair's confused looks as she addresses the nearby crowd. "Hey everyone! Who wants to play a game of Truth or Dare?" Various people that want to play move forward including Carter and Max, along with their respective dates. When it's clearly not all the people Helena wants, she calls out to Tommy, who's standing in the corner chatting easily with Laurel. "Hey, Tommy! Laurel! Come play with us."

He shrugs, ignoring Laurel's half-hearted protests as he drags her along with him. "What are we playing?" He sits on the couch along with everyone else who have formed a makeshift circle.

"Truth or Dare. Rules are you choose truth, you have to answer it. No exceptions. You choose dare and you have to do it or take three shots of my father's strongest vodka." She takes out a bottle along with several shot glasses, placing them on a table in the center of the group. "Oh, and the person who does the truth or dare gets to pick the next person to go. Everyone good?" People among the group mumble their agreements, nodding their heads. "Since this is my party, I guess I'll go first." She turns to Carter, "Truth or dare?"

"Dare," he says with a smirk.

"I dare you to take a picture of your junk and send it to a random contact in your phone."

His smirk falls as the crowd tries to hold in their laughs. He begrudgingly complies and the game continues, going around the group until it gets back to Helena's turn. She has just finished a 20 second lap dance that she had to give to Max when she smirks, an evil glint in her eyes. "Felicity. Truth or dare?"

Deciding to play it safe, Felicity looks at her with complete confidence, "Truth." She hears a few low whistles, no doubt people fearing for her and the conniving tendencies of Helena Bertinelli. Oliver squeezes her hip where his hand is resting around her waist, probably worried for the question she's about to receive.

Helena chuckles, "Okay. Who's better in bed, Oliver or Tommy?"

Felicity's mouth hangs open slightly at the bluntness of her question and she feels her boyfriend stiffen beside her. All eyes are on her and she lifts her chin, meeting Tommy's eyes and he clears his throat awkwardly, looking away.

"Yeah, I'm not gonna answer that," she responds, a heavy blush coloring her cheeks.

"Um, what were the rules to the game? Oh yeah! You choose truth, you have to answer it. No exceptions. So answer it, Lis," she finishes sarcastically, a smirk tugging at her crimson painted lips.

Felicity glances around the room at everyone staring at her before she shifts her gaze, looking nervously between both Tommy and Oliver. "Fine, Helena." She glares down at her crossed legs before mumbling an answer.

The brunette feigns confusion, cupping her hand around her ear, "Sorry, what was that?"

"Oliver, okay?" she huffs, "Happy now?"

Oliver clears his throat, looking down as the crowd whispers amongst themselves, staring between the trio. Felicity stands abruptly, "You know what? This party sucks. Come on." She tugs on Oliver's hand and leads him through the crowd, passing by Sara along the way, the girl giving a sympathetic smile.

Once they're outside, Felicity huffs and runs her fingers through her ponytail. "God, I hate her! She's such a bitch! I can't believe you dated her," she complains while stomping back and forth.

He sighs, stuffing his hands in his front pockets. "I was young and only after one thing?"

She stops and throws him a glare before continuing to pace a hole in the ground. "Seriously, who asks that? I mean, what was I supposed to say? Obviously, I'm gonna say my boyfriend."

He looks up at that, brows raised, "Wait, so you just said me because I'm your boyfriend? Not because it's true?"

"Oliver, focus! This isn't about you! Tommy literally just forgave us and now everything is ruined again!"

Taking a step forward, he places his hands on her arms to stop her frantic movements and rubs up and down slowly. "Hey, take a deep breath. Everything is gonna be fine, okay? Trust me."

"Oliver, how on earth is everything gonna be fine? Everything is so not fine!"

He opens his mouth to speak when he hears the front door open, peering over his shoulder to see six approaching figures.

Tommy is the first to speak as he comes to place a supporting hand on Felicity's shoulder. "Lis, you okay? I never liked Helena but this was a new low."

The blonde's brows furrow in confusion, "Wait, you're not mad at me?"

Chuckling, he looks down at her, "No, why would I be mad? It's just a stupid game."

A smile spreads across her face and she throws her arms around Tommy's neck, sending him teetering backwards at the force before he returns the hug.

Sara steps forwards, hand encased in Nyssa's, and looks at Felicity with a serious expression, "Do you want me to beat her up? Cause Nyssa's been teaching me self-defense. I can hurt her. _Bad."_

Felicity laughs, "Thank you for the offer, but no, it's fine. I'd rather just forget she even exists."

"I think that we can all agree on that one," Caitlin interjects, Ronnie nodding in agreement from behind her.

"Thanks guys, but you didn't have to leave the party just to come out here for me," Felicity states, gazing between everyone.

"Now that's just ridiculous. Lis, we're your friends. And that party sucked anyway," Tommy explains with a smirk, causing everyone to laugh.

"What do you guys say, Big Belly Burger?" Laurel asks, sending a small smile Felicity's way. Everyone nods, muttering their agreements as they begin to make their way to their respective cars.

Oliver drapes his arm around Felicity's shoulders, tugging her along towards his motorcycle. "See, what'd I tell you? Everyone loves you, Miss Smoak," he smirks down at her before placing a kiss to her forehead.

"You're right, Mr. Queen. I have some pretty amazing friends."


	17. Chapter 17

**The story's title is from the song "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!. All of the chapter titles come from various songs by the same band.**

 **The link to the polyvore sets for each chapter can be found in my profile.**

 **Follow me on tumblr - my username is** ** _emily-betts_** _ **.**_

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any original characters that may be added in later. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to CW Television and DC Comics.**

* * *

 **You're Saying That It's Love (I'm Gonna Wait)**

 **March 2010**

Oliver stands on the roof of Queen Consolidated, staring ahead at the city before him. It wasn't long ago he stood up here in the same position wallowing in his own guilt and regret, yet it feels like another lifetime ago. And when he thinks about it, it really was. At the beginning of this year he was with Laurel, his dad was alive, and he and Felicity were merely best friends. Now, in just a few short months he'll be graduating with his best friend by his side, the love of his life supporting him and his father nowhere in sight.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Oliver keeps his eyes fixed forward, already knowing who is there without having to turn around. Of course he knows who it is, and it feels good being here with him again. "If you're trying to sneak up on me, you'll have to try harder."

The other boy chuckles, settling next to Oliver with his back pressed to the railing and his arms crossed over his broad chest. "Nah, there's no scaring you, Ollie."

He laughs, nodding his head and turning to mirror the boy's stance. "How'd you know I was here?"

Tommy shrugs, "Because I know you."

"And I know you too," Oliver narrows his eyes at the brunette, "Which is why I know that something is bothering you. What's up?"

Shifting nervously between his feet, Tommy avoids making eye contact, "I wanted to talk to you about something. I uh… I'm gonna ask Laurel to prom. And I wanted to make sure it was cool with you. Not that it would stop me if it wasn't cause no offense, you kind of have no right to tell me what to do or who to date considering you basically stole my girlfriend, which I've forgiven you for! That's not the point I'm try -"

"Tommy," Oliver interrupts, a laugh bubbling past his lips, "Take a deep breath, you're turning into Felicity. Thank you for talking to me straight up like I should've done. I think that you and Laurel would make an awesome couple. So yes, it's okay with me if you ask her to prom. We can all go in a group. Speaking of, I have a plan to ask Felicity but I'll need your help. A lot of people's help, actually."

Tommy's shoulders visibly deflate in relief as he lets out the breath he'd been holding, "Thanks, man. And whatever it is, I'm in."

He chuckles again, "Why were you so nervous? Afraid I was gonna kick your ass again?"

Turning to the taller boy, Tommy settles him with an affronted glare. "You did not kick my ass. It was a tie."

"Yeah, okay. Whatever you need to believe." Oliver is unable to suppress his smirk before adding, "Are you sure Laurel's gonna say yes? Cause I mean, you're you."

"Well she dated you, so I figure I have a shot," he retorts with a smirk of his own.

"Touché."

Tommy chuckles, lightly shaking his head and turning towards the view, leaning his elbows against the concrete railing. "I can't believe how much things have changed since September. It seems like another lifetime ago."

Oliver mimics his position, taking in his best friend's words that mirrored his earlier thoughts. "That's because it was. But no matter what happens, one thing will never change, man."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"You'll always be my brother."

Tommy turns to him briefly before gazing back towards their entire world. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

Felicity stands at her locker with Sara, listening to the other blonde tell her about her and Nyssa's weekend plans. She's happy for her friend, glad that she's happy and that things are finally back on track with Laurel. Things have been good all-around lately, almost too good to be true. She is acing all her classes, Tommy is her friend again, and things with Oliver are amazing.

Just as Sara is retelling the story of her and Nyssa's first date for the umpteenth time, Felicity's phone buzzes in the side pocket of her skirt.

 _ **From Tommy:**_

 _ **Hey Lis, I have to talk to you. It's important! Meet me at the soccer fields.**_

Confused by the text, she rereads it before looking up at Sara.

"What is it? Who texted you?" the younger Lance asks, brows furrowed.

"Huh. Weird. It's from Tommy. He wants me to meet him at the soccer fields."

Sara's eyes light up as she tries to hide her growing smile, feigning confusion. "That is weird. C'mon, I'll go with you."

Felicity nods and starts toward the doors, not picking up on the mischievous glint in her friend's eyes. Walking through the long grass, she eyes Sara suspiciously. "Okay, what is with that face?"

"Face? What face? This is my normal expression."

"No, it's not. You have a weird like, half-smile like you're trying not to smile, but you might actually burst any second."

Sara adopts a serious expression, schooling her features. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Just keep walking," she finishes with a little nudge, pointedly telling Felicity to move faster.

"Alright, alright! I'm going! Jeez," Felicity huffs. However, when she rounds the bleachers, she falls silent as her mouth opens in shock. As she slowly walks forward, the marching band starts playing a familiar tune, though she can't quite place it. Looking around she notices the bleachers full of students, all smiling at the scene in front of them. Felicity hears Sara laughing from behind her, sending a thumbs up before joining Caitlin in the front row of the bleachers.

"Told you it was important," Tommy announces, a smirk on his lips as she approaches him.

"Tommy. What is this?"

"Well, it's a grand gesture. Obviously. Though I can't really take credit for it." He nods over her shoulder before walking away, joining Laurel a few feet away. Felicity turns around, her skirt blowing in the slight wind as her eyes land on the only person she ever truly wants to see. Oliver steps towards her, red t-shirt clinging perfectly to his muscles, a huge grin on his face and a gorgeous bouquet of flowers in his left hand.

Felicity chuckles in disbelief, "What are you doing?"

"Well, considering nothing about our relationship has been normal thus far, I figure you at least deserve something like this. Normal high school stuff, right?"

"Normal high school stuff… I don't know if it's really your style," she eyes him skeptically as he comes to stand within a few feet of her and just being this close to him makes her heart speed up.

"Well I figured I'd give it a try. Plus, anything to do with you is my style."

"Still with the cheesy lines, I see."

"But of course. I do have one question for you though," Oliver settles his hands on her hips, a light smile tugging up the corners of his mouth.

"Yeah? What's that?" she asks, breath hitching like it always does when he's near. Oliver nods over her shoulder and she turns to see the students on the bleachers are not just there for show, but are there to hold up the ridiculously oversized banner.

She smiles, turning back to face him, "Oliver."

"Felicity. Will you go to prom with me?"

Felicity squeals, _actually_ squeals, as she jumps into his arms, banding her own around his neck. She slants her lips over his, immediately plunging her tongue into the warmth of his mouth. "Of. Course. I'll. Go. To. Prom. With. You!" she punctuates each word with a kiss and he wraps his arms around her waist, lifting her up securely in his embrace.

Oliver grins down at her, "Thank god."


	18. Chapter 18

**The story's title is from the song "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!. All of the chapter titles come from various songs by the same band.**

 **The link to the polyvore sets for each chapter can be found in my profile.**

 **Follow me on tumblr - my username is** ** _emily-betts_** _ **.**_

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any original characters that may be added in later. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to CW Television and DC Comics.**

* * *

 **You Ask for the Truth (You Could Do So Much Better)**

 **April 2010**

A glass of ice water in hand, Oliver stands next to Tommy and Ronnie, both boys engaging in conversation about some sports team while he nervously shifts under Detective Lance's stony glare. Forcing his eyes away from the intimidating man, he nudges his best friend's shoulder.

"What's up?" Tommy pulls away from telling his story about the time he witnessed an amazing winning touchdown a few years ago.

Voice quiet, almost as if the older man could hear him, Oliver asks, "How much does Laurel's dad know about everything that went down between me and her?"

"Oh, you mean how you cheated on her with her baby sister?"

Oliver glares at his supposed best friend, irritated with his nonchalance. "Yes. Does he know all that?"

He laughs, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure considering Laurel and Sara yelled a few choice words, many of which included variations of 'slut' and 'whore', at each other basically every day before completely ignoring each other. Why do you even care? It was like, months ago."

"Wait, you've slept with Felicity, Laurel _and_ Sara?!" Ronnie asks, unable to keep the impressed tone from his voice.

Oliver continues, his only acknowledgement of Ronnie's words being a glare thrown his way, "Months ago, years ago - it doesn't matter." His voice rises as he becomes more frantic. "He's looking at me like he wants to rip off my di-," he cuts himself off when he notices that he has gained his mother's attention, lowering his voice back to just above a whisper before continuing. "My… man parts, of which I am very fond of. Tommy, he has a gun! Several guns, probably!" Oliver pleads. "He could literally kill me and make it look like an accident."

"Yeah, I've never done anything bad to Laurel, let alone _both_ of his daughters, and he squeezed my hand so hard when I got to their house I think he may have dislodged a bone." He emphasizes the last part of his statement with a pained face and a shake of his right hand.

"You are literally no help at all."

"Oh, relax. I'm sure that if he was gonna kill you, he would've done it already."

"That's strangely not comforting at all."

"I feel like I'm missing something," Ronnie speaks up, looking between both boys as they stare at him blankly.

"Ollie is unnecessarily fearing for his life because the girls that he screwed around on have a father who is a cop. But like I said, it's been months so if he was gonna murder you down by the river, he would've done it already," Tommy explains with a smirk and a pat to Oliver's shoulder. "Now, let's just be happy and have fun tonight with our gorgeous dates. Can you do that?"

Oliver gives an almost imperceptible nod as he glares at his best friend, "I hate you."

* * *

Felicity walks down the grand staircase of the Queen Mansion where she had agreed to let Thea help her get ready. And she has to admit, it was a wise choice. Thea had arranged for a gallery of dresses from different designers ranging from Monique Lhuillier to Elie Saab to be brought in as well as make-up artists and hair stylists. At first it was a little overwhelming, but after her mom had started squealing in excitement, Felicity decided to just let go and have fun. Not wanting to enjoy these perks by herself, she'd called Caitlin and Sara, telling the latter to bring both Nyssa and Laurel. They'd all decided that the past is in the past, and what better way to move on than to all get ready and go to prom together?

As Felicity reaches the main room, she looks around at her friends and their respective parents before her eyes land on Oliver, looking deliciously handsome in his sleek, Armani suit. An easy smile spreads across his lips as he walks to her, his eyes shining as he looks up and down her body, lingering on her heavily exposed chest in what he thinks is a discreet manner.

His eyes settle on her face before he takes a deep breath, "You look… Wow."

Felicity smiles shyly, lifting her hands and straightening his tie before gripping the lapels of his jacket, "You look 'wow', too."

They're pulled from their moment by Donna's excited voice piercing through the atmosphere, "Picture time!"

* * *

Entering the ballroom of the most extravagant hotel in Starling, Felicity's mouth falls open as she takes in the Wonderland-themed room. The blue hues of the lighting create an oceanic, night-time feel while the icicles and other accessories make it feel light and magical. She tightens her grip in the crook of Oliver's arm as she takes it all in.

"This is amazing!" Caitlin is the first to voice what everyone has been thinking. She looks gorgeous in her beaded purple gown accented with a simple braid in her caramel hair. With Ronnie by her side, they look like one of those adorable couples straight out of the suburbs.

Sara nods, fingers entwined with Nyssa's as they both stand looking flawless. They're in completely different looks, Nyssa's dress being a tight, royal blue gown with a slit down the leg that is more on the sexy, adventurous side. Sara's dress, on the other hand, is more traditional; strapless and flowing in a bright canary yellow. But somehow, they just fit together perfectly. "Helena may be a stone-cold bitch, but she sure knows how to throw a party," the blonde admits.

Everyone chuckles before dispersing, Nyssa and Sara heading to the dance floor, Caitlin and Ronnie rushing straight to the snack table, and Tommy and Laurel going to mingle with some other friends.

Oliver turns his head to Felicity, smiling down at her with something shining in his eyes that can only be described as astonishment. "Have I told you how gorgeous you look tonight?" He has actually, multiple times. And for once, Felicity truly believes it. Because standing there in her nude ball gown style dress, her hair in an intricate up do to accent the red beading on her chest and shoulders that scatter down her waist to the very end of the tulle dress, she's never felt more beautiful.

"Yes, you have. But it's appreciated no matter how many times you say it."

He smiles, leaning down so that his lips barely scrape against the industrial piercing on the shell of her ear, "I love you." He gently brushes a kiss to her cheek before pulling away, a smug grin on his face at the sound of her sharp intake of breath. "Tonight's gonna be fun."

* * *

Felicity stands by the ballot box, checking the square next to Oliver's name for Prom King. She sighs as she runs her eyes over the names listed under "PROM QUEEN". Reluctantly, she votes for Laurel because she concludes that the older Lance is a better choice to share a dance with her boyfriend than Helena, Joanna, or one of the other two girls that Oliver has no doubt probably done _something_ with. Placing the card in the box, she feels a light tap on her shoulder causing her to turn around, eyes falling on the very handsome guy with a smirk that could kill. "Tommy Merlyn. You look good in black."

Laughing, Tommy holds out a hand to the girl he once loved, "Care to dance?"

She hesitates slightly before catching Oliver's eyes from across the room. He gives a nod of approval and she turns back to the man in front of her with a small smile, placing her hand in his and allowing him to lead her to the middle of the dance floor.

A new song starts and Felicity recognizes it almost immediately as "Poison & Wine" by the Civil Wars. _Fitting,_ she thinks to herself. Tommy's arms band around her waist, resting low on her hips as she wraps her arms loosely around his neck. She can feel his eyes on her before he speaks, "You look beautiful, by the way."

 _You only know what I want you to_

 _I know everything you don't want me to_

 _Oh your mouth is poison, your mouth is wine_

 _You think your dreams are the same as mine_

"Thank you."

"You know, this isn't how I imagined my senior prom. Not even close."

That sparks Felicity's curiosity and she tilts her head slightly, barely needing to look up at him as her heels have made them almost the same height. "Yeah? How'd you imagine it?"

"Well, this part was the same; you and me, dancing together. But in this image, you were still in love with me," Tommy explains, his voice soft and quiet.

Her eyes shoot to his and they flood with guilt as she struggles for words. "Tommy…"

"I know," he interrupts, a crease formed between his brows. "Please don't feel guilty, that wasn't my intention. I just… I want you – no, I _need_ you to know that I'm gonna be okay. I like Laurel, a lot. I think I'll just need time. I still love you, Lis. So freaking much that it hurts when I see you with Oliver. But I'm also happy when I see you two because you're my best friends, and I want you to be happy. I love you Lis, and I always will. But I know that I won't always be in love with you. And I know that I'm gonna be fine. I just need you to know that too."

 _Oh I don't love you but I always will_

 _Oh I don't love you but I always will_

 _Oh I don't love you but I always will_

 _I always will_

Felicity gazes up at him, eyes barely concealing the rapidly forming tears at his heartfelt words. "You're a good guy, Tommy Merlyn. And some day, you'll make a woman very happy. I know it." Tommy smiles and just before either one of them can add to the already too heavy conversation, the music gets cut off and the lights brighten just barely. Felicity steps out of his embrace, looking towards the stage as Principal Steele makes his way to the microphone stand.

The older man taps on the mic a few times causing a muffled sound to echo off the high ceilings of the ballroom. "Attention, everybody," Principal Steele calls in his thick British accent, "Students and faculty of Starling City Preparatory School, welcome to prom." The crowd erupts in cheers and applause before they quiet just as quickly. "Now for the announcement everyone has been waiting for… Your 2010 Prom King iiis…," he drags out the last word.

Her head turns searchingly, eyes finally landing on Oliver surrounded by his teammates who are already congratulating him. She can't help the large smile that spreads across her lips as Principal Steele reads Oliver's name and she watches as he saunters up to the stage where his crown and sash are placed on him. Although she knows that the title doesn't really mean anything to him, she knows that he doesn't mind the attention. And as the cheering once again dies down, Felicity groans at the impending announcement of Laurel as Prom Queen, not looking forward to watching the two ex-lovers dance together. Based on the way Tommy shifts uncomfortably next to her, she can tell that he doesn't like that idea either.

Principal Steele clears his throat, "And now, the 2010 Prom Queen is…," he looks up with a growing smile, "It seems we've had a unanimous write-in. Your 2010 Prom Queen is Felicity Smoak!"

Felicity's head shoots up as the crowd cheers, seemingly not at all surprised by the announcement. Tommy laughs and shoves her forward towards the stage where Oliver stands, a satisfied smirk on his face. She holds her dress, climbing the stairs to stand next to her boyfriend.

"Did you do this?" she asks as the crown is placed on her head by a very bitter Helena.

Smirking, he offers his hand to her, "Of course I did this. You didn't honestly think that I'd stand up here with anyone other than you, did I?"

Felicity places her hand in his and allows him to pull her down towards the middle of the dance floor where the crowd had parted like the Red Sea for them. A laugh bubbles from her lips as he spins her into his embrace causing her to collide with his chest. "You do realize that this is like a bad rom-com, right?"

Oliver smiles but nods nonetheless, "It has not escaped my attention. Although, I thought we've already established that I become very cheesy when it comes to you. At this point, I just can't help it."

"It's okay. Thank you for doing this. I love it." Felicity looks around at the couples that have joined them, at the stupid smiles on all their faces under the twinkling lights. Everything just feels so normal and so peaceful.

Oliver interrupts her perusal, causing her to shift in his arms so that she can tilt up her chin to look into his eyes. "Standing here with you, I just feel like for once in my life everything has fallen into place. Like nothing could ever go wrong, you know?"

"Of course I know. It's the feeling I've always gotten whenever I'm with you. Ever since the day we met. It just feels -"

"- safe?" Oliver finishes her thought with a look in his eyes that makes her heart skip a beat and a fluttering to erupt low in her belly.

"Exactly," she nods, voice so low she'd be surprised if he even heard her. The only sign that he had is the slight tilting of his chin so that he can connect their lips in a soft kiss. Standing in the middle of the ballroom, dancing in the arms of the love of her life under the twinkling icicles, Felicity's never felt more safe than at this exact moment.


	19. Chapter 19

**The story's title is from the song "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!. All of the chapter titles come from various songs by the same band.**

 **The link to the polyvore sets for each chapter can be found in my profile.**

 **Follow me on tumblr - my username is** ** _emily-betts_** _ **.**_

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any original characters that may be added in later. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to CW Television and DC Comics.**

* * *

 **You Are the Only Person in This Room (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)**

 **May 2010**

With the end of the year rapidly approaching which comes with finals, Tommy thought that everyone deserved a pick me up in the form of a famous Queen-Merlyn party. Oliver's 18th birthday provided the perfect opportunity. Also, Tommy knows Oliver hates surprises, and he couldn't pass up the opportunity for a surprise party with almost the entire school. Everyone is crowded around the Queen house, dancing in the main room and filtering outside to the patio around the gorgeously lit pool area, complete with a waterfall built into fake rocks. Robert Queen was nothing if not obedient to every one of his wife's design wishes.

Oliver maneuvers his way through the crowd, nodding in thanks to the copious amount of classmates that wish him a happy birthday. Taking a sip of beer from his red solo cup, he passes through the french backdoors, memories of twinkling lights and rose petals flooding his brain. Looking around, his eyes land on Felicity who is currently hoisted up into the air, sitting on Tommy's shoulders as her arms try to push Caitlin from her position on Ronnie's shoulders. Everything around him fades when he sees her gorgeous smile, wide and sparkling, and when he hears her perfect, bubbly laugh. She is so beautiful.

The sounds of Caitlin splashing into the water and Felicity cheering in victory, which is of course accompanied by a triumphant fist pump into the air, brings him back to reality. Laughing, Oliver makes his way to the pool as Felicity falls backwards at Tommy's abrupt movements, barely managing to hold onto her sunglasses before plunging into the water. She splashes Tommy in the face upon resurfacing before noticing Oliver making his way towards her.

He sits down on the intricate tiling of the patio, adjusting his Starling City Rockets snapback and letting his legs wade into the pool. The cool water is refreshing against the hot, humid air. She swims up to the pool wall, placing her sunglasses on the ground next to his thigh before grabbing his feet and hanging on his legs.

"Having fun, birthday boy?" she looks up at him, smiling cheekily.

"Don't look at me like that, I know you helped Tommy with this," he states, emphasizing his accusation by pointing a finger at her face.

Felicity can't stop the giggle from passing her lips, "Maayybee. I'm sorry! I know you hate surprises but it was too good an opportunity. You should've seen your face! Priceless. Thea would've been dying of laughter."

Facial expression feigning offense, Oliver takes off his hat and places it, along with his cup, down next to him. "You're in trouble now."

"You wouldn't dare," she releases his legs and slowly starts to float backwards.

"Oh, I totally would."

Felicity shrieks as he jumps in and quickly tries to swim away, but her attempts fail when his arms band around her waist and pull her underwater. They resurface, his arms still securely around her waist and her hands gripping his biceps. He narrows his eyes at her as he takes in her glimmering eyes and puffed out cheeks.

"Are you a child?"

She nods before spitting water into his face and falling into a fit of laughter. "Now we're even."

He shakes his head, inevitably finding himself laughing along with her.

"Yo, Ollie! Chicken fight! You and Felicity, me and Laurel!" Tommy's voice interrupts and the couple turns to see him and Laurel smiling, waving them over.

"Let's go!" Felicity exclaims, wriggling her way out of his arms. "You better hold me up, I'm not losing to them," she calls back as she swims away causing Oliver to chuckle as he follows.

* * *

Felicity makes her way upstairs in search of her boyfriend, wondering where he'd vanished to. After several rounds of chicken fights, Felicity and Oliver winning 3 out of 5, they had lounged in the connected hot tub for a while before Oliver had disappeared with the promise of bringing her a drink. Seeing that his bedroom door is closed and hoping to God that it isn't occupied by a couple doing things that she really doesn't want to see, she slowly opens the door and pokes her head in.

Oliver looks up at the sound to see Felicity making her way fully into the room, closing and locking the door behind her. He places the picture frame he'd been staring at back onto his nightstand; he loves that picture of them. It was taken last year when they went out for a birthday dinner for Thea, who of course had requested and gotten a three-tier chocolate cake. It was back when they were just friends, both dating Laurel and Tommy respectively, but he remembers the feeling he got being that close to her, arm around her waist. It felt right. It still does.

"Hey, I was wondering where you'd gone off to," Felicity voices as she saunters towards him, hips subconsciously swaying deliciously under the small amount of fabric her swimsuit offers. She stops in front of him, curling her arms around his neck as his arms band around her waist, his hands gripping just at the top her ass and pulling her to stand in between his legs. Her fingers play with the hair at the base of his head, "What're you thinking about?"

"Nothing. Everything. Just... Graduation." Oliver's gaze is fixed on her stomach, voice quiet as he avoids her eyes.

"Are you nervous about your grades? Because I told you that they're really not as bad as you think, and if you do good on all your finals, which you will because duh - you're dating your tutor - then you'll pass every class."

A chuckle bubbles past his lips as he begins moving his thumbs in slow circles over the skin on her lower back, fingers dipped just below the edge of her bikini bottoms. "Yes, you have told me multiple times. And it's not that, it's just... I feel like everything is changing and I don't want it to. I like my life the way it is right now. I don't have any plans even though I got into basically every Ivy League, based solely on my mother's generous donations. But I don't even know if college is what I want right now, maybe not ever."

"And I have also told you that that's okay. Lots of people don't go to college and they still are successful doing something that they love."

"I know, I know. But... Next year you're going to graduate and get into some genius school like Harvard or whatever. And then you'll just be stuck with a stupid, loser boyfriend."

"Hey, stop," Felicity moves her hands to his face, grabbing his jaw and forcing him to look up at her. "You are not a loser and you are _not_ stupid. You'll figure out what you want to do and whatever that may be, you'll be amazing at it. We still have this summer before you have to decide if you want to go to school and if you do, great. I'm sure we can make long distance work. But if you don't, then you'll be here with me. And when it's time for me to go to school, we'll figure it out."

Sighing at her words, amazed at her ability to make everything sound so simple, Oliver slides his right hand up her body until he cups her cheek, rubbing his thumb lovingly over her cheekbone. "I already figured it out. Wherever you go to school, I'll follow you. Felicity, I'll be happy anywhere as long as you're there. I love you."

A gentle smile pulls at the corners of her mouth, "I love you too, Oliver." Her smile quickly turns into a smirk as her eyes darken and sparkle with mischief. She grabs his hand, removing it from her face and moving her own to caress his shoulders. Her hands slide down his chest, adding slight pressure and pushing him backwards until he lays flat on his bed.

He smirks up at her when she climbs onto him, her thighs straddling his hips and his breath hitches when her increasingly wet center pushes down on his hardening length through the thin materials of their swimsuits. "Felicity..."

She smiles and connects her lips to his in a heated kiss before moving her lips across his jaw. Sucking on his pulse point, she continues her descent, leaving open-mouthed kisses down his chest and abs. When she doesn't stop her path, Oliver's eyes widen slightly and he gently grasps her wrist where it had been resting on his bicep. Felicity's head pops up, her eyes heavily lidded as raises a brow at him in a silent question.

"What are you doing?" he manages to squeeze out through clenched teeth.

She smirks once again, bringing the hand not enclosed by his to his length, palming him through his swim trunks and causing him to hiss at the pressure. "Happy birthday, Oliver."

Oliver releases his grip on her wrist and allows himself to relax and enjoy the sensation of her lips against his hipbone. Felicity moves her hand over him slowly before allowing her other hand to dip below his waistline and grip his now painfully hard cock, pulling it free. She runs her thumb over the tip, spreading the moisture that has gathered there down his shaft and pumping up and down a few times. She moves her lips, placing a kiss to the base causing Oliver to jerk his hips.

"Fel-i-ci-ty!"

She laughs against him, the vibrations causing another jerk of his hips, his fingers gripping the sheets beneath him until his knuckles turn white. Felicity continues kissing her way up his shaft before reaching the head, running her tongue in a tiny circle around the tip.

"Fuck..."

His hips buck when her lips close around him. Felicity takes him completely into the warmth of her mouth and his hands fly to her head, fingers tangling in her silky golden locks.

 _Best. Birthday. Ever._

* * *

Slowly shifting as he is roused from sleep, Oliver's head pounds slightly as he groans and sits up. He's thankful that he didn't drink too much last night because not only would the headache he already has be way more intense, he doesn't even want to think about the possibility of forgetting Felicity and her very, very talented mouth. Pulling on a pair of sweats and choosing to forgo a shirt, he heads down to the kitchen in search of food to hopefully dull his hangover.

Taking a large swig of orange juice before placing the carton back on the refrigerator shelf, Oliver grabs an apple from the drawer. Hearing his mother's voice from behind him, he closes the fridge before turning around, taking a large bite from the juicy, red fruit while listening to the end of her conversation.

"Very well. Thank you very much. Yes, I'll see you soon," Moira concludes, hanging up the phone and placing it back into the holder on the corner of the countertop before making her way to Oliver with a smile and planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Who was on the phone?" he asks, still chewing as he leans against the island.

"That was Jean Loring, the family's attorney. She says that there's some business at Queen Consolidated that needs to be addressed immediately." Moving to her purse, she searches through it before pulling out her mini-calendar.

Oliver nods and walks around her towards the living room to see what's on tv, "Have fun."

"Oliver," Moira calls, halting his stride as he turns to face her, "Ms. Loring requested you join us. Go put on a suit, we're leaving in ten minutes."

He groans and throws his nearly completely eaten apple core into the garbage can. "Why do I have to go? I don't feel good, I kinda just wanted to watch tv all day and maybe hang out with Felicity."

"Because darling, having a hangover from your birthday party is not a good enough excuse for me to not make you go," she fixes him with a half-hearted glare before she warns, "Ten minutes."

* * *

Oliver shifts uncomfortably in his chair in the conference room next to his father's, now his mother's, office. He hates wearing a suit and tie, it makes him feel too constricted. Moira swats at his forearm, silently telling him to sit still as Ms. Loring enters the room along with a team of QC lawyers.

"Oliver, Moira. It's wonderful to see you both," Jean greets them, taking the seat to the left of Oliver, who sits at the head of the table next to his mother.

Moira nods, "It is lovely to see you, Jean. Now if you don't mind, can you all skip the pleasantries and inform me what exactly my son and I are doing here?"

He smirks to himself at his mother's directness. Never mess with Moira Queen, that's for sure.

"Yes, very well," Jean nods and opens her briefcase, pulling out a decent sized pile of official-looking documents. "Now, Moira, I know that you have already been given Robert's last will and testament. However, there are a few additional facets to it that Robert instructed to be read upon Oliver's 18th birthday."

Sitting up in his chair, Oliver visibly starts paying attention at the mention of his name. Moira settles Jean with a confused expression, "I thought that in the will it was stated that Oliver would be entitled to complete access to his trust fund when he turns 21, as with Thea."

"Yes, that is true. But this document here specifies the full extent of Oliver's entitlement. I was personally instructed by Robert to read the following:

 _Oliver,_

 _I know that in the past our relationship has been strained. I have not been the best father that I could, nor the one that you and Thea deserve. And for that I am terribly sorry. You will never know how much I love both you and your sister. But you, Oliver… You are my first born, my son. And contrary to what you may think, I am very proud of you. You have a greatness within you and a strength that knows no bounds. I know that someday you will achieve great things. That despite growing up with myself as a father, you will be a great man. The kind of man that I never was. I have failed this family, this city on many occasions. But my greatest regret is that I have failed you. I believe in you, son._

 _Robert "_

Oliver takes a deep breath, trying not to show how much his father's last words to him have affected him. In that letter is everything that he's ever wanted to hear from his father. He just wishes that Robert was here to say it to his face.

Unable to find any words, Moira jumps in on his behalf, placing a comforting hand in his. "Thank you, Jean. Will that be all?"

"No. Along with this letter, Robert has left the entirety of Queen Consolidated's assets," she turns to speak to Oliver, "To you."

His head shoots up, mouth agape, and turns to look back at his mother, who sits with a matching expression. "What?"

Jean continues, unfazed by their shocked expressions. "As clearly stated right here, as of yesterday, May 16th, 2010, all of QC's assets will belong to Oliver Queen as well as the position of CEO, which Oliver will take over upon his completion of university and the obtaining of his MBA. If Oliver does not choose to comply with the terms of this, Moira Queen will remain CEO, as she will while Oliver attends school. However, the assets will remain in his name."

Oliver stares at Jean blankly, not believing what he's hearing. His dad left the company to him. The entire company. _This has to be a joke._

Apparently, Moira has the same thought, only she chooses to voice her concerns, "This cannot be serious. I mean, no offense sweetheart," she directs the term of endearment to her son before speaking once more to the lawyers, "Oliver is hardly the responsible type. He is barely even an adult!"

"Yeah, what she said," Oliver finally finds his voice, "I don't even know if I want to go to college, let alone get my MBA. This has to be a joke."

Jean fixes Oliver with an unamused expression before sliding over the papers, the first of which contains the handwritten letter, "Your father's wishes were clearly stated. I suggest you figure out what you want Oliver, because this is your responsibility now. Clearly, your father loved this company and I do not think that he would leave it to you if he did not believe that you could do it."

The numerous lawyers begin to filter out of the room and Moira stands, following Jean out of the room and discussing what just happened for more information. Oliver sits frozen, staring down at his father's words blankly. Just when he thought everything was going to be okay, just when he was beginning to figure things out, he gets this thrown at him. And this changes everything.


	20. Chapter 20

**The story's title is from the song "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!. All of the chapter titles come from various songs by the same band.**

 **The link to the polyvore sets for each chapter can be found in my profile.**

 **Follow me on tumblr - my username is** ** _emily-betts_** _ **.**_

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any original characters that may be added in later. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to CW Television and DC Comics.**

* * *

 **Just Lay Down With Me Before You Go (It's The Wrong Thing I Know)**

 **May 2010**

Oliver sits silently next to his mother in the back of the black town car, still trying to process what had just happened. He can't believe what Robert had done because it is completely ridiculous. He can't run a company; he can barely make himself breakfast in the morning! Okay, that's a lie; he's a pretty awesome cook thanks to Raisa. But that's beside the point - he can't do this, certainly not now. Probably not ever.

When the car rolls to a complete stop, Oliver quickly gets out, ignoring Moira's protests. He loosens his tie as he heads up to his room at lightning speed, feeling like he is suffocating. Ripping off his jacket so fast he almost tears one of the seams, Oliver sits at the corner of his bed and buries his face in his hands, trying to take deep breaths. Feeling dizzy, he can hear his heart pounding rapidly inside his head. He hears his door open and close but he doesn't react, just simply continues to try to steady his shaking hands. Without looking up, he feels his mother's warm hand begin to gently rub soothing circles across his back, her reassurances for him to take a deep breath falling on deaf ears.

After nearly twenty minutes, Oliver finally calms down enough to sit up and turn to face Moira. "This has to be some kind of a sick joke, right? Dad would never trust me with his company."

"I'm afraid I spoke to Jean and looked at the papers more thoroughly. Everything seems to be in order and apparently, your father had complete trust in you. You will go to one of the colleges you were accepted to and get your MBA. When you graduate, you will take over CEO from me," his mom explains calmly.

Oliver stands abruptly, gaping at his mother's words, "Are you crazy? I'm not doing that."

She quickly rises to her feet, her tone holding a kind of finality that only Moira Queen can possess, "Yes, you are. This was your father's last wish and you will honor it. This is your responsibility now."

"Well I don't want it!" he yells, losing the calm he had just regained.

Taken aback by her son's outburst, Moira quickly recovers, "Well that's not up to you anymore. I will be making an announcement at next week's press conference for the new hospital wing that we funded. I'll inform the public of your impending rise to leadership."

"I don't want to lead anything. This was never what I wanted, it's what everyone's wanted _for_ me. But no one has ever actually asked me what it is that I want. And it's not this."

Sighing, Moira steps towards her son and clasps his hand in her own. "Oliver, sweetheart. I know that this must be difficult for you to grasp, but this is your company. Your legacy. And if you go to school and decide that it isn't for you, then I will accept that. I will continue as CEO while the assets remain yours in name only. But you have to at least give it a shot. The choice of schools will be up to you but attending at least one semester is non-negotiable." She lifts her hand as she finishes, gently stroking his cheek with a small, reassuring smile. "We'll discuss this more tomorrow."

Oliver nods slowly as she places a kiss to his cheek before muttering a 'good night' and disappearing from his room. Not bothering to change his clothes, he makes his way back to bed and lays flat on his back, staring blankly at the ceiling until he drifts into a restless sleep.

* * *

 **June 2010**

Situated in the area designated for the graduating class, Oliver sits amongst his classmates, blue cap securely on his head. By pure luck, and alphabetical order, Oliver is in the seat directly behind Tommy who in turn is only a few seats away from Laurel. Carter Bowen, who is obviously the valedictorian, finishes up his speech and the crowd erupts in applause, Oliver slowly bringing his hands together in a halfhearted manner. He really hates that guy.

As Principal Steele steps forward, the first row of students obediently rise and names begin to be called but Oliver can't focus. All he can think about are the choices he's made for his future. Choices that he hasn't told Felicity about yet. It's not that he doesn't want to, because he really, _really_ does; he is just nervous about how she'll react. Still not knowing that he even met with Ms. Loring about his father's will, she thinks that he is going to stay here with her, that she is going to have an entire summer with him. But he knows that won't be the case.

He is pulled from his thoughts when Tommy pushes his shoulder lightly, not even realizing he'd zoned out for so long. He stands along with the rest of his row, patiently waiting as the row in front of them walks up the stage's small staircase. Finding himself cheering when both Laurel's and Tommy's names are called, he can hear the hollers of their friends and family.

It's hard to explain the feeling he gets in the pit of his stomach when Principal Steele calls his name. He just knows that holding his diploma in his hand, looking into the crowd to see Felicity smiling at him with an almost-too-grown Thea hoisted up in her arms so that she can see better, the lead ball settled in his stomach lessens and flutters up into his chest. Throwing his obligatory playboy smile, he waves to the crowd, a wink saved just for Felicity who then brings her hand to her mouth to emphasize her cheer.

When he gets back to his seat, Oliver is suddenly reminded of why the feeling was there to begin with. He zones out once more, thinking about the best way to tell Felicity his news and before he knows it, his classmates are throwing their caps into the air and then dispersing to find their families. He stands, aimlessly walking around because eventually he knows he'll find his loved ones.

Strong hands grip Oliver's shoulders, jolting him forward slightly and he chuckles as he tries not to fall. "We did it man! I never thought this day would actually come but here we are: high school graduates, baby!" Tommy yells causing a few nearby heads to turn his way, but he remains completely unfazed. Laurel stands behind him, smiling at Oliver as she cautiously steps forward to embrace him in a friendly hug, muttering a congratulations that he returns easily.

"Ollie!" a little girl's voice sounds from behind him and he turns, kneeling just in time to catch Thea's barreling form in his arms. "You did it, you did it! I'm so proud of you!" She emphasizes her point by planting a huge kiss on his cheek, complete with exaggerated sound effects that cause him to release a hearty laugh.

Noticing her older brother's friends behind him, Thea's eyes widen almost comically as she wriggles free from his grasp and attacks Tommy's legs with an excited cry of his name. The newest graduates laugh at the little girl's antics and Oliver rises to his feet, shaking his head at his kid sister.

"Hey, graduate. Are you too important for us little people now?" an all too familiar voice calls.

He feels a smile tug up the corners of his lips before he even turns around. But when he does, it only widens as his eyes fall on her: big smile on her face, her dress clinging to her figure in all the right places, her golden hair blowing around her face like a halo and her skin literally glowing as she makes her way towards him. He meets her the last quarter of the way and wraps his arms around her waist, hoisting her into the air. She giggles, feet dangling a few inches off the ground, and brings her hands up to cradle his face before kissing him, tongue immediately running along the seam of his lips.

Getting lost in the feel of her lips, his hands wander dangerously low for this public of a setting and he hears a throat clearing from a few feet away. Felicity immediately pulls away to allow him to set her back down on her feet and runs her thumb over her lips, fixing her purple lipstick before subconsciously smoothing her hands over the fabric clinging to her stomach. Oliver can't help but smirk at the gesture, an amused glint in his eyes as he takes in the flush of her cheeks in both arousal and embarrassment at being caught in such a heated embrace by none other than Moira Queen.

Laughing, Oliver turns to his mom, smiling when he sees the small bouquet in her hands and he quickly moves into her waiting arms. When he pulls out of the hug, he remains close and Moira's hands fly to his face, smoothing over his cheeks. She smiles up at him, eyes watering with tears that are threatening to spill. "My beautiful boy. I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, Mom. That means a lot." Oliver's voice is full of complete sincerity before he moves away from her to face his friends.

"Tommy, Laurel. Congratulations," Moira smiles at the pair who have gravitated closer together and are now holding hands.

"Thanks Mrs. Q," Tommy grins at the woman who has become somewhat of a second mother over the years since the loss of his own. Laurel nods in thanks as well, offering a small smile to the older woman.

As the group falls into a natural conversation, Thea constantly butting in wanting to feel like one of the 'grown-ups', Felicity finds herself zoning out. She can't stop herself from feeling guilty as she looks at Oliver's profile, the knowledge that she hasn't told him her news yet. She is nervous to tell him, unsure of how he'll react. It could go both ways: he could be understanding and supportive, promising to be there for her no matter what or he could be angry, reverting to his old ways and running away from her. She is deeply hoping it's not the latter option. This is a huge deal, an important step in both their relationship and their lives. She just prays that he'll take this next step with her.

* * *

Felicity stands at the bar of the Queen's main room, surrounded by close friends and family to celebrate the new high school graduates. Tapping her lavender nails nervously on the counter, she brings the cup of ice water to her lips and takes a small sip. She feels a warm hand splay across her lower back and tilts her head with a smile, trying not to appear too nervous.

"I've been looking for you," Oliver announces as he reaches over the bar and pours himself a small glass of scotch. "Do you want some?" he directs at the blonde next to him.

Felicity's eyes bolt between his face and the amber-colored alcohol, nervously gulping before attempting a steady voice, "Uh, no. Thanks, I'm good with water."

He nods and takes a sip before locking eyes with her, "Are you okay? You seem nervous."

Shifting uncomfortably, her eyes dart around the room crowded with people, most of them friends of Moira. She clears her throat, "Actually, can we go somewhere? Like, your room?"

Realizing that her request provides the perfect opportunity for him to tell her his plans, he agrees, "Uh, yeah. Let's go." Oliver puts down his glass and grasps her hand in his, discretely leading her out of the room and upstairs.

Felicity fidgets with the hem of her dress the entire way to his room, thinking over the right words to use. When they reach his room, Oliver lets her in first and then closes the door behind him.

She turns to him, bracing herself for what's about to come. "Oliver… We need to talk."


	21. Chapter 21

**The story's title is from the song "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!. All of the chapter titles come from various songs by the same band.**

 **The link to the polyvore sets for each chapter can be found in my profile.**

 **Follow me on tumblr - my username is** ** _emily-betts_** _ **.**_

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and any original characters that may be added in later. All rights over characters of the TV show Arrow belong to CW Television and DC Comics.**

* * *

 **But It's All Gone Away (And It's All on Me)**

 **June 2010**

Shifting uncomfortably, Felicity's eyes dart around the room crowded with people, most of them friends of Moira. She clears her throat, "Actually, can we go somewhere? Like, your room?"

Realizing that her request provides the perfect opportunity for him to tell her his plans, he agrees, "Uh, yeah. Let's go." Oliver puts down his glass and grasps her hand in his, discretely leading her out of the room and upstairs.

Felicity fidgets with the hem of her dress the entire way to his room, thinking over the right words to use. When they reach his room, Oliver lets her in first and then closes the door behind him.

She turns to him, bracing herself for what's about to come. "Oliver… We need to talk."

"Okay… About what?" Oliver asks, eyes narrowed and voice laced with caution.

Opening her mouth, Felicity finds no words coming out. He stares at her expectantly as her mouth opens and closes like a fish. "You should sit down," she finally instructs.

He complies, lacing his fingers together and resting them loosely `between his knees. His eyes follow her movements when she begins to pace, muttering to herself and shaking her head at her own words repeatedly. After an entire minute goes by in silence, Oliver interrupts her silent ramblings, "Felicity, what is going on? Why are you so nervous?"

Stopping her movements, Felicity finally faces him, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth and wringing her fingers together in front of her. "Because I don't know how to say this! I don't want you to react badly because I love you, Oliver. I don't want you to be angry with me." She goes back to her frantic pacing, running her fingers through her hair.

He laughs in disbelief at her thoughts, "Felicity, why would I -" Oliver cuts himself off and his expression quickly morphs into one of pure dread, all color draining from his face. He gulps, trying to find his voice. "Are… Felicity, are you pregnant?"

Felicity whirls on him, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushing with color, "What?! No! Oliver, I am _not_ pregnant. I'm on the pill and we always use protection. Why would you even think that?!" His visible relief at her answer doesn't last long when her shock quickly fades, her eyes possessing a new fire as she clenches her jaw, trying not to yell, "Are you calling me fat? Because if you don't like the way I look Oliver Queen, there's the door! What is it with men? It's like they think we exist just for them to look at as we stand around in sexy lingerie! Well, I am not here for that and I will not be objectif -"

"- Whoa!" Oliver interrupts, springing to his feet and placing his hands on each of her shoulders. "Take a breath. That's not what I was saying at all. You know I think you're beautiful and sexy and perfect. You just… The way you were wording things scared me for a second there. I mean, we're only 18. We're not ready for a baby."

"No shit! Oliver, I'm not pregnant. I promise."

He releases another sigh of relief at her reassurances and moves them both to sit down on his bed. "Okay. Then tell me what's going on with you. Whatever it is, I won't be mad."

Tightening her hold on his hand, she takes a deep breath and dives into her explanation as Oliver sits patiently listening. "Last week I got a phone call. From MIT. Oliver, they offered me a full scholarship to start this September. I know what you're thinking, I haven't even graduated yet. But I talked to Principal Steele and because of all the AP and extra classes I've been taking since freshman year, technically I'm only a few credits short, so I just have to take one class and an online thing this summer and I'll have enough credits to graduate before August. I know that MIT is on the other side of the country but… It's a _full scholarship._ At _MIT,_ one of the best schools for technological sciences in the world. Which means my mom wouldn't have to worry about paying for my tuition anymore. I can't say no to this. I'm sorry, Oliver. Please don't hate me." Felicity looks down, her voice falling barely above a whisper as she finishes.

He moves his hand to her face, cupping her cheek and wiping away a tear that leaked from the corner of her eye. "How could I ever hate you? Felicity, this is an amazing opportunity for you. You deserve it, you've worked so hard and you're a freaking genius," he stresses causing a teary laugh to bubble past her lips. "I am so proud of you."

"Really?"

"Yes! How could I not be? You're amazing and you are destined for amazing things. I've always known that. I don't know why you thought I wouldn't completely support you."

"Well, I didn't really doubt you. I was just nervous. Oliver, MIT is thousands of miles away. But we can make it work, okay? I know it. We can do long distance and make it work. And we'll have all summer together!"

Guilt flashes across Oliver's face and he stares down at his lap. "Yeah, about that… I actually have some news of my own that I've been wanting to tell you."

Felicity adopts a serious expression and lays her hand on his forearm in concern. "Oliver… Are you pregnant?"

He lifts his head to find her biting her lip, struggling to keep from bursting and he laughs breathlessly. "That's cute. Really cute, Felicity. Make fun of my moment of anguish."

Unable to hold it in any longer, she explodes into a fit of laughter. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist." She sucks in a breath, calming herself down and looking at him with a straight face. "Okay, I'm serious now. What's your news?"

It's his turn to take a deep breath and he squeezes her hand, mimicking her comforting actions from earlier. "A few weeks ago, after my birthday, my family's lawyer called my mom. We went to QC and there was… There was an additional will from my father to be read after my 18th birthday in the event of his death."

"Okay… What did he leave you? Extra money or something?" she tilts her head, brow furrowed in confusion.

He takes another long, calming breath. "He left me Queen Consolidated." He looks up at her, awaiting her reaction. Her face remains stoic, unfazed for a few seconds before she starts laughing. Oliver gapes at her, confused by her reaction.

Upon noticing that he isn't laughing with her, Felicity immediately stops, her eyes widening, "Wait… You're being serious?!"

"Yeah."

"Well... What… How… Why?" she stutters in true Felicity fashion.

"In the will was a letter that he wrote to me. He said that he was sorry that he failed me as a father. And that he trusts me and is proud of me. I get ownership of all of QC's assets. And when I graduate - _if_ I graduate and get my MBA, then I become CEO."

"Wow. That's… Wow."

"Yeah."

"So, what are you going to do?" she tucks her leg up underneath herself and shifts to face him more fully, "And why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because I didn't know what I was gonna do, Felicity. When I found out, I kinda freaked. But I talked to my mom and she told me that this is my responsibility now. I have a responsibility to honor my father's wishes and to honor his memory," Oliver explains, voice laced with a newfound passion that it didn't possess when he had first learned of his father's crazy actions.

Nodding silently, Felicity eyes him cautiously and asks again, "So… What are you gonna do?"

"I sent in my acceptance letter to Starling University three days ago."

"Oliver, that's a huge step. A good step! A really, really good step for you. But are you sure that's what you want? I know that you've been reluctant about college."

"I've thought about it a lot and I have to at least try. My dad… When my dad was alive, I never felt like I was good enough or like he was proud of me. But this… Felicity, he loved this company. He built this company and the fact that he left it to me - _me!_ \- of all people… He believed in me. I can't let him down. Wherever he is… I just can't."

"I understand that. And I'm proud of you," she smiles. "I understand why I was nervous, considering MIT is far away, but why were you nervous? You staying in Starling for school wouldn't really change anything other than you being busier. But it's okay. Like I said before, we'll have all summer together and then in September we'll figure it out."

Oliver clears his throat and glances down at their joined hands where his thumb is slowly brushing back and forth over her hand. "I wasn't nervous about that part. I'm nervous about this part." He takes one more steadying breath before deciding he can't avoid this any longer. "I'm not starting school in September. I accepted, but I'm deferring a semester. Everything is just happening so quickly and I just… I need time to prepare myself and come to terms with what all of this really means."

"I don't understand."

"I'm leaving."

He looks up when Felicity pulls her hands out of his grasp to find her staring at him blankly. "I'm sorry, _what?"_

Sighing, he turns more towards the confused blonde. "I'm leaving Starling, with Tommy. We're going to Europe."

Felicity shakes her head lightly and stands up. "You're just, 'hey Felicity, no big deal or anything, I'm just going to Europe with my best friend for an indefinite amount of time, love you'? Seriously?!"

Jumping up from his sitting position, Oliver defends himself, "It's not an indefinite amount of time! It's six months, at the most. It's just - it's like a graduation present from our parents. Things are gonna get crazy soon and everything is changing, and I just need something to feel normal. And what's more normal than leaving the country on a private yacht with my best friend? We don't really have a plan, but we know we're gonna spend our last week in China with my mom and his dad so they can show us the QC and Merlyn Global branches in Hong Kong. I'll be back for the start of second semester in January."

She takes a step back, "When I'll be gone. This is a lot of information, Oliver. It's a lot to take in."

"I know, I'm sorry for springing this on you. But this is what I have to do. I hope you can understand." After nearly five minutes, she still hasn't moved or made a single sound, and Oliver is beginning to worry a little bit. "Felicity, please… Say something…"

At the sound of his voice, Felicity looks up, her eyes glossy. "I don't know what you want me to say, Oliver. I need some time to think about everything. I mean, I just feel like with the whole long distance thing, things are really becoming real between us and with everything with the company… It just feels like you're running away. Like you always do."

"Felicity, that's ridiculous. I'm not running from anything."

"Not running..." She stares at her feet, nodding her head solemnly before locking eyes with him again. "When do you leave?"

He glances down to hide the pained expression that crosses his face at the sound of her voice, obviously feeling hurt by his decisions. Oliver lifts his head, calm mask perfectly in place, "Two weeks. July 1st."

Felicity releases a pained, breathless laugh and meets his eyes. "I have to go. I just… I need some time to think. I'll… I'll see you later." She turns on her heels, rushing out the door. Oliver feels like for once in his life, his future is looking up and he could be getting everything anyone could ever want. But watching her walk away, he just hopes that he isn't losing the only thing that _he's_ ever wanted.

* * *

 **July 2010**

Standing at the docks, Oliver gazes out at the water that holds his father's yacht, The Queen's Gambit. Tommy is already waiting in the boat, having already said goodbye to Laurel and his dad, the latter being a pat on the shoulder and a 'have fun'. The horn sounds, the captain signaling the ten-minute warning. Oliver turns, opening his arms for one last hug from Thea.

"I'm gonna miss you, Ollie." The little girl's voice is muffled from where she has pressed her face into his jacket, arms wound tightly around his waist.

He brings a hand to her head, running his fingers through her hair and tugging on the ends of her braids gently. "I'm gonna miss you too, Speedy. But we'll Skype."

"Promise?" Her voice is quiet and he has to strain himself to hear her.

"I promise," he reassures, giving her enough comfort to pull out of his embrace and send him a bright smile. He glances up towards his mother, sending her a sad smile at the look on her face before moving to pull her into a hug.

Cradling the back of his head, Moira tries to hold back her tears. "Oh, my beautiful boy. I want you to be safe, okay? Don't get into too much trouble with Tommy. And call me every day!"

Oliver laughs as he pulls away, "Yeah, I will."

Moira grabs Thea's hand, pulling her to sit on the bench so that they can watch the boat leave. Oliver walks back towards the dock but stops, hesitant to leave just yet. He still has eight more minutes. She could still show up. They haven't spoken since the party after graduation, but she knows that he is leaving today. She could still show up. He starts to doubt himself when five minutes pass and she is nowhere in sight.

Sighing, he moves forward towards the boat, deciding not to wait any longer. He's about halfway there when he hears a sound on the wooden boards behind him and turns around to see Felicity standing at the edge of the pier looking slightly breathless, clearly having ran to catch up to him. His breath hitches in his throat as she starts walking towards him, the slightly cloudy summer day blowing her hair around her face.

Felicity stops when she's within inches of him and reaches into her back pocket, pulling out two polaroids and holding them low in front of her face, barely able to conceal her smile. "In case you get lonely… Or tempted by European girls."

A dopey grin spreads across Oliver's face as he takes the pictures, putting them in his jacket pocket without breaking eye contact with her. "I didn't think you'd come."

She steps forward and winds her arms around his neck, fingers playing with the short ends of his hair. "Oliver, I don't care how long you're gone or how many miles are between us. I love you. Nothing will ever change that." Her eyes flick to his from where they'd been trained on his chin, glossy with unshed tears.

"I love you too. So much. This… This isn't the end for us, Felicity. So let's just… Let's not say goodbye this time," Oliver promises passionately, thumb swiping away a fallen tear from her cheekbone before he leans close, lips brushing hers softly but with so much passion and promise that she is thankful his arm is around her waist for fear of falling over. Oliver pulls away but not too far, resting his forehead against hers, both their eyes still closed in an effort to make time stand still.

The boat's horn pulls them back to reality and Oliver steps away, but not before placing one more peck to her lips. He slowly backs away, holding onto her hand until the last possible second, leaving her arm floating in thin air, fingers grasping at nothing. Turning his back to her, he makes his way to the yacht where Tommy is waiting on the top deck, throwing a smile and wave to Felicity who returns it easily. A tear leaks from the corner of his eye, racing down his cheek and he presses the heels of his hands to his eyes, rubbing the moisture from them before joining Tommy up top.

Felicity stands on the pier, watching the Queen's Gambit sailing away on the water, getting smaller and smaller. It's not until it disappears completely that she wipes her tear stained face and makes her way towards the remaining members of the Queen Family.

Thea stands up, grabbing Felicity's hand and squeezing it tightly. "It's okay, Lissy. He'll be back soon."

Throwing the little girl a small smile, Felicity hopes it appears somewhat confident, "I know, Speedy. Now… What do you say we head to Big Belly and get burgers the size of our heads?" She widens her eyes and holds up her hands a few inches apart from each other to exaggerate her offer in the hopes of cheering up the younger Queen.

It apparently works because Thea's eyes light up and she turns to her mom, nearly jumping up and down in place. "Can we, Mom? Pleeaassee!" she begs, puppy dog expression on full display.

Moira smiles down at her and places her hand into Thea's free one, "Of course, sweetheart. Let's go."

Felicity laughs when she releases a shriek of excitement and tugs on her hand, pulling her along the docks and doesn't allow herself to feel sad, but hopeful.


	22. not a chapter

Hey cuties! For anyone who hasn't yet, go check out the sequel to this story titled

 _ **One Day It's Here and Then It's Gone (How Are You Still Holding On)**_

to see where all of our favorite characters are 7 years later! It can be found in my profile, enjoy!


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